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The difference between LB Cato June's former position with the Colts and his new one with the Bucs is semantics

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Getting Comfortable

Jul 29, 2007 - Things can’t help but seem slightly askew when the offensive-minded Jon Gruden starts to speak passionately about his team’s defense, as he did at the end of practice on day two of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ training camp.

Gruden, however, can’t be blamed for suddenly channeling Monte Kiffin; watching linebacker Cato June fly around the field can have that effect on a coach, no matter which side of the game is his specialty.

“He’s really fast; you see why he’s really good in this scheme,” Gruden said of June. “He can play the outside linebacker position with an effortless style. He’s got great familiarity with our defense, certainly, but he’s also got great athleticism. His legs are alive. He can run. I know he’ll hit. He’s had a knack for making plays. Whatever position you play him at, weakside or strongside, he’s going to be a guy that shows up where the ballcarrier is.”

The leading tackler for the Indianapolis Colts in two of the last three seasons, June was signed by the Buccaneers this offseason in a move that bolstered the team’s defense by adding one of the premier coverage linebackers in the game.

In 56 NFL contests, June has tallied 10 interceptions while amassing 379 tackles, including 100-plus stops in each of his last three seasons. In 2005, June earned Pro Bowl honors when he posted 109 tackles and five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Last year, June led the Super Bowl champion Colts in total tackles, racking up a career-high 162. He also added three more interceptions to his career total.

"It’s hard to take him off the field in any situation. He runs and hits, and he’s instinctive, and he’s a never-say-die kind of guy."

Such success isn’t typical for a linebacker who at 6-2, 227 pounds is relatively small by NFL standards, but June’s high level of play has resulted from his exceptional athleticism working in combination with a mastery of the Cover-2 system he has played in since entering the league in 2003.

June seems to be made just for this scheme. Because the Cover-2 relies on its linebackers to cover ground quickly, hit single gaps fast and often drop into coverage, there is less focus on size and more of an emphasis on speed and reaction.

Recognizing those to be June’s greatest assets, the Buccaneers – who have executed the scheme so effectively throughout the years that it’s come to be known as the “Tampa-2” throughout the league – wasted little time signing June after he became an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The move to a defense similar in style to the one he has flourished in has meant June’s transition has been a relatively smooth one thus far.

“I think it’s a good fit,” June said. “Essentially it’s the same thing. In the over fronts I’ll be playing strong side – what we called weak side [in Indianapolis] was the same fit for the most part, so I think I’ll fit in well. I’ll have a group of veterans I’ll be able to learn from and once I pick up the language and the different terminology, it will be downhill from there.”

Basically, terminology aside, June is playing the same position he always has. During a Saturday press conference, June revealed that fact, further explaining the nomenclature used by the Buccaneers and Colts.

“In our defense in Indy, the WILL was actually what they call a SAM here. It’s just the way we lined up in Indy versus how we do it here. Outside of under fronts, strongside is of course going to be on the line. But outside of that, I’m essentially playing the same position.”

And he’s playing it well. Drawing from four years of experience that included practicing against arguably the league’s most dangerous quarterback in Peyton Manning, June appears comfortable in practically every situation in which he lines up – including defending against the newly-installed shotgun formation now a part of the Buccaneers’ offense.

“Patience,” June said, explaining what’s required to successfully defend against the shotgun. “Patience, because when the quarterback is under center and he is taking his drop, you’re taking your drop. You don’t have those same reads when he’s not under center. You have to have patience. You have to basically read out when he’s already sitting in the pocket but you still have to take your steps; you have to take your reads and be patient in what you are supposed to do. Let the routes develop, if that’s what it is. If not, you have to go to the receiver right now. It’s really about patience and executing your responsibility and not allowing him to dictate where you’re going.”

June demonstrates a similar comfort level in nearly every scenario, no matter what the down and distance or formation happens to be. In fact, June’s versatility and overall football acumen have created a bit of an issue for his head coach.

“It’s hard to take him off the field in any situation,” Gruden said. “You’ve got a chance to kick off or cover a punt, you want that guy out there. He runs and hits, and he’s instinctive as hell, and he’s a never-say-die kind of guy. That’s something I’m really, really pleased with.”