A recent arrival from California's central coast, Jerome Long understandably has a limited knowledge of San Diego and its surrounding environs.
Of at least one of the area's athletes, however, Long knows plenty.
A former heavyweight wrestler who placed among the top 12 at last year's state championships, Long is now trying to make his mark as a freshman defensive lineman at San Diego State.
Aware of the exploits of former San Diego High standout Stephen Neal, a world-class wrestler who transferred his skills to the football field and is now a member of the New England Patriots, Long believes he has the ideal blueprint for making a similar transition.
So do his coaches.
“Jerome Long has a chance to play this year,” said coach Chuck Long. “We like him a lot. He can be a great player here. He's got the size (6-5, 270) and frame, and we haven't even had him in the weight room for a year yet. With his wrestling background, he knows how to work and he knows how to compete. We really like what he's doing right now.”
With injuries having depleted the Aztecs' defensive line depth through the first two weeks of fall camp, Jerome Long has heard opportunity's knock and thrown open the door. A Cal-Hi first-team selection who had 68 tackles and 4½ sacks last year at Morro Bay High, Long shunned Oregon and Washington for the opportunity to play immediately at SDSU.
“He's got a real good future ahead of him,” said defensive coordinator Bob Elliott. “When we recruited him last year, he's was really raw, but we saw that he had the potential to get a lot bigger and he has a great motor. I think he's got unlimited potential. He's a tough guy.”
And one who has no intention of sitting still while being fitted for a redshirt. Long came to play, and he's not reluctant to let others know of his intentions.
“My goal is to play and, hopefully, by the end of the year, be a starter,” he said. “I know the coaches have expectations for me, and I'm working as hard as I can to live up to those expectations, to play better than I think I can play.”
Long, a three-time Los Padres League champion while wrestling at Morro Bay, admits his skills as a football player were far from refined before finding success on the mat. Every year that he improved as a wrestler, Long said, he improved as a football player, discovering that techniques used to nullify an opponent on the mat could be utilized in gaining the upper hand on the field.
“If you're a lineman, having a wrestling background can be a big advantage,” he said. “Using your hands, keeping a good base and balance to gain leverage, you find yourself using a lot of the same moves. It helped me a lot in high school.”
And could prove a ticket to a quick ascendancy at SDSU.
“Coach (Long) has been telling me that he needs me to step up and play like a junior because we don't have a lot of depth right now,” he said. “And I'm working as fast and as hard as I can to get there.”
Extra points
SDSU will hold its annual Family Day scrimmage at Qualcomm Stadium at 2 p.m. tomorrow. The event also offers fans an opportunity to select seats for season tickets and includes an Aztecs apparel clearance sale. Admission and parking are free, although SDSU will be accepting donations of new stuffed animals that will be given to Rady's Children's Hospital. Stadium gates open at 1 p.m. Players will be available for autographs shortly after the scrimmage.
Junior transfer Darius Jones, a 6-foot-4, 355-pound defensive tackle from Gainesville, Fla., took part in his first practice yesterday after being cleared academically.
Mick McGrane: (619) 293-1850; mick.mcgrane@uniontrib.com
