Bowling Green State University Athletics
2001 Falcon Football Position Preview
August 13, 2001 | Football
Aug. 13, 2001
This is the third in a series of postion previews for the 2001 BGSU football team.
QUOTING COACH MEYER
"Janssen Patton, before he leaves Bowling Green, should be the top corner in the MAC. He is a tremendous talent. Malone and Morton also have the ability, they just need more confidence as corners. Our safeties have a lot of experience. I expect them to be the most physical hitters on the team."
THE PLAYERS
All four starters return for the Falcons. Senior strong safety Chad Long led the team in tackles in 1999, and finished second on last year's squad with 88 stops. He has started 32 consecutive games dating to his freshman campaign. Senior free safety Sergio Lund had 70 tackles and finished third on the team in that category. He also had six stops for a loss, one sack, four pass deflections and two blocked kicks.
Senior Karl Rose has started 17 games in his career and has played all four positions. Rose had 38 tackles, two sacks, an interception, four pass deflections, a forced fumble and fumble recovery and a blocked kick. Junior Jerry Wagner had seven tackles and will play free safety.
Sophomore cornerback Janssen Patton was second in the MAC and led the Falcons with four interceptions. His season total was the highest for a Falcon since Tony Everhart had five for BGSU in 1994. Sophomore cornerback Michael Malone started the last 10 games and had 45 tackles, five pass deflections and a fumble recovery.
Sophomore Jason Morton gives the Falcons a third outstanding cornerback. He had 14 tackles as a freshman. Redshirt freshman Anthony Hicks also figures in the mix.
SPRING GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Wagner had five tackles and Rose had three for the Brown team ... Patton had three stops and an interception, and Morton added a pick as well ... Long and Lund each had four stops for the Orange squad ... Hicks had three tackles and a pick.
PRESEASON DEPTH CHART
Cornerback Janssen Patton (6-0, 180,So.) Anthony Hicks (6-0, 190, r-Fr.)Cornerback Michael Malone (5-10, 180, r-So.) Jason Morton (6-0, 180, So.)
Strong Safety Chad Long (6-0, 195, 5-Sr.) Karl Rose (6-0, 185, Sr.)
Free Safety Sergio Lund (6-0, 185, Sr.) Jerry Wagner (5-10, 185, r-Jr.)
