Although Buom Jock said him and Chase Wilson have yet to establish a nickname, they’re certainly deserving of one.
The dynamic duo has been one of the defining factors that has allowed the Colorado State defense to see success. After losing Justin Sanchez, the team’s third-leading tackler, Jock was handed the big task of reinforcing the Rams’ front seven alongside his cohort — a task Jock has tackled with vitriol.
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Through nine games, Jock leads the team in tackles with 81, and right behind him is Wilson’s 78. On the other hand, Wilson leads the team in interceptions with two, and right there with him is Jock, who has one.
“He kind of got thrown into a bigger role (and) thrown to the fire a little bit this year,” Wilson said. “And he’s taken it and ran with it. He’s really taken an understanding for what offenses are giving us. Certain splits and certain formations, what plays we’re getting out of that, and he’s done really well.”
Jock is relatively new to his role as an inside linebacker. When he committed to CSU, he came in as a wide receiver. In high school, he played receiver and safety and also saw a little bit of time on the edge last season.
He came in to CSU at 205 pounds and has since put on 30 pounds to adjust to playing on the inside. All of that experience has culminated into a slew of experiences that Jock can use to his advantage.
“Playing free safety, you kind of see the whole field (and) see everything that’s going on,” Jock said. “And then playing receiver with the ball skills (requires) grabbing balls out of the air, getting your hand on the ball, seeing and reading the quarterback, seeing tendencies from receivers and tight ends (and knowing) what it’s supposed to look like because at linebacker, you have to put it all together.”
The year Jock sat behind Sanchez and Wilson was a year that would prove vital in his development. Everything that Wilson did, Jock watched. He knew that in a year’s time, he would have to stand next to him on the field.
Wilson played at the Mike position last season — the position Jock plays now — before switching over to the Will position this season.
“(I was) playing behind them, seeing how things are supposed to be played, and then now I get to play with Chase,” Jock said. “We complement each other well because I was behind him seeing how you’re supposed to do it.”
Learning what each other likes and how each other plays becomes critical on a week-to-week basis as the two prepare for the fight ahead.
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The linebacker position is a battle and often involved in a lot of the plays. As the saying goes, iron sharpens iron.
“We’ll be talking through plays at practice and talking through film study with coach (Adam Pilapil), giving different looks and some tendencies that certain offenses are giving us,” Wilson said. “We’re really able to kind of bounce those things off each other, and it has really made both of us better. And we’re also competitive with each other, but that makes it fun, and it’s been awesome.”
Pilapil said one of the biggest things he has seen in Jock this season is the sheer amount of work he puts into bettering himself. From his mental approach to the game and his physical improvement, Jock has set an example of what it means to work hard in order to succeed.
That work is something Wilson has embodied throughout his five seasons in Fort Collins. Now with Jock and Wilson playing together, Pilapil said it’s been great to watch them to bear witness to what they have accomplished this season.
“It’s been really cool to watch them grow, learn how to play together (and) learn how to help each other through situations,” Pilapil said. “Chase you would look at as the older guy; Buom is the younger guy that’s coming along, but I think they’ve both done a great job of humbling themselves. … It’s been fun to watch that relationship grow.”
The two’s chemistry on the field has been clear from the jump, and while the reps Jock and Wilson take together in practice have been key to that, something just as important has been the comradery off the field.
Those things have allowed them to connect in a way only a dynamic duo can. Reading each other’s movements and having the ability to react to the other without verbally saying anything are key to CSU’s success on the field.
“We kind of understand each other more than just football,” Jock said. “Certain intangibles, we get, we understand. On the field, certain things we know, like, we get a little nod, or we just know (what the other will do) because (of) the way we think. … When we see something on the field, we recognize something, we know what’s about to happen, so that kind of (nonverbal) communication we have (is important).”
The brotherhood the two have developed over the last two seasons has already begun to pay off and will continue to do so as CSU chases its first Mountain West championship in history.
“It’s been awesome to get to know Buom as a person, not only as a player — it’s been a real privilege,” Wilson said.
Reach Damon Cook at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dwcook2001.
