“I’m looking forward to everyone learning the new defense
and assignments and it all falling together,” said Lovejoy, a 6’4” 300 lb.,
senior defensive lineman from Pensacola, Fla. “I think the coaches have come in
with a good mindset to improve from last year.
We have confidence that if we follow their lead, things will be better.”
In a recent full team scrimmage, Lovejoy broke through the line and nailed a running back, drawing a roar from the team. That’s about as much noise as Lovejoy would make, as he is not a vocal leader, but one who leads by his actions.
“Mike has been a good leader for us, as he leads by example
more than anything,” Wood said. “He’s a
solid player…a dominant player for us in the middle.”
Last season, Lovejoy had 40 total tackles, with 22 of them being
solos. He had seven tackles for loss, accumulating
28 yards for loss. He also had three and a half sacks for a total of 23 yards
for loss. He also broke up one pass and
defended another. With the streamlined responsibility of the 4-3 defense,
Lovejoy is poised to have a breakthrough season.