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University of Minnesota Athletics
Classic Rewrite - Sean Hoffman
9/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
This article appeared in the official game program on Oct. 28, 2000 as Minnesota hosted Northwestern for homecoming. Linebacker Sean Hoffman was a four-year letterwinner from 1996-2000. He broke Bob Stein's school record with six tackles for loss on Oct. 2, 1999 against the Wildcats. Hoffman ranks eighth all-time with 27 career tackles for loss and ninth with 12 career sacks.
When it comes to dominating football, it is hard to match the physical play and overall ability of the Big Ten Conference. Producing 22 consensus All-Americans in the last five years and NFL stars like Mike Alstott, Ron Dayne, Eddie George and Terry Glenn, defense is a highly-coveted skill. Minnesota senior linebackers Sean Hoffman and Ben Mezera are very familiar with these names, and have perfected their defensive abilities over the last five years in order to keep future NFL standouts contained.
Hoffman and Mezera lead a corps of senior linebackers that also includes Curtese Poole and Justin Hall. Between the two of them, Hoffman and Mezera have played in 85 of 86 career games, and have helped turn a once-porous Golden Gopher defense into one of the most-feared squads in the Big Ten.
Last season, Minnesota finished fourth in the Big Ten in total defense - its best finish since 1985, second in scoring defense - its best finish since 1967, and first in passing defense - its best finish since 1969. This season, the Maroon and Gold are in the top half of numerous defensive statistical categories, and much of that credit goes to the senior defensive leaders.
Poole transferred to Minnesota from the University of Kansas after one year as a redshirt on the Jayhawk offense. When Poole came to Minnesota he was moved to the defensive side of the ball and immediately noticed his teammates. "Coming from the offensive side of the ball, everybody on defense was a big influence to me," Poole said, "but Hoffman and Mezera's worth ethic is what I noticed. It showed. Even today I look up to them, and when I see them playing hard, I feel like I have to step up my game even more, so that we can do our job as a unit."
The emotional leader of the unit, Hoffman is a fifth-year senior who has developed under Head Coach Glen Mason's watchful eye. He earned his degree in speech communications last year and is focusing on football this year while attending graduate school classes. "It's nice," Hoffman said. "Once you have your degree, it's in your pocket and nobody can that that away from you, and that is what you came here for in the first place. As a freshman, you really worry about school and trying to stay on track, and it tends to get overwhelming. This year, it's been nice to be able to concentrate on football and really just enjoy my last year here."
Hoffman is certainly enjoying his senior season as a Golden Gopher. Although his tackle numbers are down from previous years, his absence is surely felt on the field.
Northwestern felt Hoffman's wrath last season, as he pounded the Wildcats for 12 tackles, including a school-record six tackles for loss. "I fit well into this defense," Hoffman commented. "I am confident in the way that I have been playing. It doesn't reflect on the stats sheet, but I think I have been playing just as well, if not better, overall as I have in the past. There just aren't as many plays coming my way."
If the plays do not come to him, Hoffman hunts the plays down. "Sean is a real physical players," linebackers coach Steve Stripling said. "He's a veteran who knows how to chase the ball down and keep their guy contained."
Hoffman, who was a member of the Sporting News first-team freshman All-America squad in 1008, credits his teammates for most of the success he's had, in particular, Mezera. "Almost every tackle I make out there has something to do with what Ben is doing," Hoffman said. "Whether it's spilling the ball or taking on blocks and providing me with the angle to make a play on the running back, he sets up most of my plays."
Mezera came to Minnesota from Waupaca High School in Wisconsin. The honor roll student and first team all-area selection was not highly touted out of high school. "Northern Illinois was the only school to offer me a scholarship," Mezera admitted, "but when I went down there, they took the scholarship back and said I wasn't good enough to play there. Minnesota gave me an opportunity and offered me a scholarship, and here I am. I've been here ever since."
Ever since he's been here, Mezera (right) has had a tremendous impact on the game. In his first collegiate game, Mezera wanted to make a mark for himself, so he made his presence known. In the second week of his freshman season, the 6-4, 236-pound mechanical engineering major recorded an interception and two quarterback sacks. Those two sacks released a hunger within, and Mezera has been trying to feed that hunger ever since. He is just four sacks away from becoming the school's all-time career sacks leader, and is fourth on the school's career tackles for loss leader board with 32. "I just like to fall into the scheme of things," Mezera said. "If I get lucky and I get a few sacks, that's great. If not, that's okay too, as long as we're winning. I'm hoping a few more sacks will come my way, but that is just secondary. I'm just happy with the team's success right now. Those individual things will come as the team's success comes."
So far, this team has been successful. Despite a frustrating loss to Indiana last week, Minnesota's defense has displayed some impressive numbers. In the upset over Ohio State two weeks ago, the Golden Gophers held the then fifth-ranked Buckeyes to nine yards of total offense in the first quarter and just 200 yards in the game. Hoffman and Mezera led the Maroon and Gold stone wall, combining for 11 tackles, a quarterback sack and a number of backfield pressures. It was the first time in 51 years that the Golden Gophers were victorious in Columbus.
Hoffman and Mezera have been intimidating opposing offenses since day one. "Ben and Sean bring tremendous leadership to this group and to the defense as four-year starters," Stripling noted. "They are extremely intelligent guys who are true Big Ten linebackers."
Mezera and Hoffman lead the defense in their own way, and both have an understanding for each other's ability. "Ben is just a phenomenal athlete," Hoffman said. "I think he is probably the best all-around athlete out of the group of linebackers. He runs well, and he can jump out of the gym. He compliments me and he makes my job a lot easier."
Mezera is equally as thankful to have Hoffman as his flanker. "Hoffman likes to get people going out there," Mezera explained, "and people just build off of that enthusiasm that he has out on the field. Having a feeling of knowing that the other guy is going out there is a nice feeling. You feel confident with what you are doing because when I'm in my gap, you know that the other guys are covering their holes and you that we'll get the job done."
The entire senior corps has been getting the job done the past four seasons, despite their adversities. "We all have different personalities," Poole said, "but we all fit together. We balance each other out there. Ben and Sean are two real smart linebackers. They know every play and every defense. Besides being big and physical, they contribute their knowledge to the game. They lead by example, and everyone follows."
Today, the defense will follow Hoffman and Mezera onto the field for this year's homecoming game against a solid Northwestern Wildcat team. It is going to be somewhat of an emotional homecoming game for many of the seniors, but they know that there is still a lot to accomplish in their final season. "I approach each game the same way," Mezera said. "Maybe I have too much of a business approach to it, but that's my job. I just go out there and focus on my opponent. I'll do the celebrating once the game is over and we come away with the win."
Mezera's focus and determination is what makes him such a special player, and is the main reason why he reached so many of his goals. "I'm real happy with all of my accomplishments," Mezera said. "I wouldn't change a thing in my last four years. We've built something special here. It's going to be a sad thing seeing it go by."
He is not the only person who already feels next season's void. "I'm not looking forward to next year," Stripling said. "I have four senior linebackers that are graduating, so it's an opportunity for some of these younger guys to step up, but I am going to miss the leadership that these guys bring, and the understanding that they have of the game."
Hoffman and Mezera have both brought something special to the Golden Gopher football team over the last five years. They have led one of the most improved defenses in the Big Ten Conference, and helped bring back a winning tradition to the University of Minnesota. They have made a mark for themselves as two of the most accomplished linebackers in school history.
Article written by Michael Corrigan.
