Texas Tech University Athletics
Linebacker Smack Down
November 10, 2004 | Football
Nov. 10, 2004
By Jenna Sampson, Texas Tech Media Relations
The Texas Tech linebacking corps of Mike Smith, John Saldi and Brock Stratton presents a solid front in their self-named "Three S Mafia." When one player comes out of the game, another "S" is waiting in the shadows to fill his spot, namely Fletcher Session and Brent Slaughter.
"We all have the `S' in the last name. It used to be just me and (John) Saldi here, so we were the `Double S Brothers,' now we're the `Three S Mafia.' We've had fun with it. A lot of the guys on the team have nicknames and get little groups together," said senior linebacker Mike Smith.
The "Three S Mafia" led the team with 18 tackles in Saturday's 42-17 win over Baylor. Smith paved the way with seven tackles, two for a loss, as well as his first sack of the season and a quarterback hurry. Fellow starters Saldi and Stratton weren't far behind. Saldi added six smacks, while Stratton had five. Just a week ago, Saldi and Smith combined for 19 tackles to halt the Kansas State offensive attack.
"I tell them that if any guy gets more than 10 tackles, they're not playing very good on defense. If you're a really good defense and you're structured well, you're going to have six or seven guys make five or six, eight tackles," said linebacker coach Lyle Setencich.
"It's very important because if one guy gets all the tackles, then somebody else isn't doing their job. Everyone's been making plays and doing a good job and it's the main part of our defense. Coach (Setencich) always talks about it and that's how it was last week. It was all spread out and we had a good day of defense," Smith added.
The Red Raider defense currently ranks seventh in the conference for total defense, passing Nebraska's Black Shirts with Saturday's performance. The unit is ranked 46th in the nation.
"(Baylor) gave us a formation that we hadn't seen and we adjusted. All three of those guys, including Fletcher (Session), (Brent) Slaughter, Sylvester Brinkley, Geremy (Woods), have all contributed to this team. But the three starters have been pretty good game to game. One time you say Mike Smith had a good game, but this week John Saldi made three or four really nice plays. And one week it's been Brock (Stratton). They've all done very well," said Setencich.
"They don't react, they anticipate. When a defensive player really knows the game of football and starts learning the game other than his position, understanding how the game should be played and how the offense is playing, then they can begin to anticipate and not react. Once you do that you become fairly efficient," he added.
Not surprisingly, the role the three linebackers play on the field is similar to the role they play as part of the off-field "house wars." Three teams made up of defensive players have been formed, and battles include practical jokes and the usual tomfoolery. The "Three S Mafia" takes on Vincent Meeks and his team, as well as Seth Nitschman, Slaughter and a few others.
"Saldi in 'Three S Mafia,' he's more sneaky. Saldi, he's a sniper, real quiet. You never know where he's at. He's not the mastermind of the program, but he's one of those guys that he's so sneaky he can get in places," Smith said straight-faced.
The battle on the football field is no different. Saldi's role has crossed over onto the turf as well. His hit on a Baylor ball carrier in the first quarter Saturday was the smack heard 'round the stadium. He snuck around the left tackle and blind-sided the running back before he knew what hit him.
"There was one play where he flew in and really popped that guy. It was loud and the stands were screaming. That's how John is, he's sneaky. You don't know where he's at. He runs around and gets you," said Smith with a half-smile.
"He's a good athlete. He's real mobile, he's tall, he's fast and he gets the pass. He's put on some weight this last year so he's been playing the run better. He brings a lot of emotion to this defense."
Stratton is no different. The sophomore acts as field general, barking out plays to his fellow henchmen. Stratton has 47 total tackles this season, ranking him third on the team tackle list.
"He's also an emotional guy. He's real physical, too. He calls the plays and is a real key factor on defense. He's also a great guy, one of the greatest guys I've ever met. Just being around him makes me a better person," Smith added.
Stratton plays a key role in the "Three S Mafia" on the field, but acts as the mastermind off the field as well.
"He's the one that's smarter than all of us so we sit down and plan it out before we make an attack on somebody's house. We grabbed (Vincent) Meeks in the middle of the night at two o'clock in the morning, duct taped his legs, his feet, put him in the back of the car and took him across town. You have to have fun. That's just what we do. You can't come up here everyday and just practice and play games. You have to have fun in the locker room."
Of course, you can't forget the role of the team's leading tackler. Smith is currently ranked seventh in the conference with 7.4 tackles per game for a team high total of 66 tackles this season.
"Brock is the mastermind, he kind of sets everything up. John's sneaky. And then when you need someone to kick down the door and run in there, that's me. I'm the guy that does all the dirty work," he said.
He's been busy doing the dirty work all season. Smith's hits on opposing players have left a few slow to get up, including OU running back Adrian Peterson. The crowd favorite hit on Kansas State running back Darren Sproles garnered quite a response from the sidelines. He added his first sack of the season last Saturday for a loss of six yards at the start of the fourth quarter, the seventh of his career.
The senior linebacker's competitive nature on the field quickly translates into the off-field antics of the "Three S Mafia."
"There are about three different groups, but we're the champs. Actually the battle's over. It's over and they don't want anymore. We're so good and so planned out and so sneaky. It's gotten to the point where we've made copies of their house keys. They're not smart like we are. We really sit down and think it through," Smith said with a smile.
So while the off-field battles are over, the "Three S Mafia" is gearing up for one of the most exciting football battles this season. The group is hard at work this week devising a plan involving a trip to College Station. They already have the keys to Kyle Field, and the "Three S Mafia" is ready to knock down the door.
Start making road trip plans now, or tune in to ABC at 2:30 p.m. CST to watch the battle unfold.
