Defensive End Matt Hoffman Helping Rowan U. To 7-1 Record
GLASSBORO, NJ (CBS) -- In local college football, Rowan University (Division III) is putting together a fantastic season. The Profs are 7-1 after a win over Morrisville State on Saturday, and one of the biggest reasons for their success is the play of senior defensive end Matt Hoffman (above).
The Burlington Township High School product is one of the area's best defensive ends: 16½ tackles for loss and 7½ sacks this season.
He says that just like any other athlete, pass rushers can get into "the zone," and he specifically remembers one game against Morrisville his sophomore year where he did exactly that:
"The first half I had three sacks on this one kid, and it was unfortunate because it actually got their offensive line coach fired. So I was definitely in the zone that game.
"When you get a feel and you know how they are leaning back and forth, you don't even think about a move. You just go up and see which way they lean -- so you can definitely get sack happy."
Hear the entire interview in this KYW SportsPod...
Hoffman talks about what makes a great pass rusher:
"After a while you play the whole game against the same two guys -- the right tackle, left tackle. You have to get a feel for them and see what their weaknesses are and what moves you can get off.
"It's a lot of mental things. You can't just go out there and run as fast as you can, you're not going to go anywhere, they will just throw you past. So you have to do a lot of preparation, watching films on these guys and knowing what you need to do."
Hoffman now has 21 sacks in his Rowan career, and he's also made an impact off the field. Last year he missed the Profs' final game of the season so he could donate bone marrow to help a 52-year-old man with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio.
