Iowa State's A.J. Klein thinks he can tackle the problem of mobile NFL QBs

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mobile quarterbacks have been multiplying at an unprecedented rate. The spread offense has become more default than novelty. Not to mention the read option, the pistol and whatever else the mad scientists in college football are creating next.

That's why A.J. Klein is eager for the next step. Teams need linebackers like him.

They need intelligent, fast, read-and-react players in the heart of their defense. So this off-season with the hunt for Kaepernick and RGIII antidotes at an all-time high, maybe general managers are steered toward Kimberly, Wis.

That's where they'll find Klein, a three-year starter at Iowa State.

"In this day and age," Klein said, "linebackers need to be reflections of the skill positions on the offensive side of the ball. You have to be fast. You have to be mobile. You have to play with your head and make quick decisions."

At Iowa State, Klein faced the spread weekly. From a Heisman Trophy winner (Robert Griffin III) to a Heisman Trophy finalist (Colin Klein) to a potential No. 1 overall pick (Geno Smith) to an always-potent Oklahoma attack, defenses were stretched thin in the conference. Linebackers were challenged. Kimberly's Klein - projected as a top-five inside linebacker - could be one early-round option for the Green Bay Packers and others.

When he watches the NFL, Klein sees the Big 12 game translating. He said football in general has evolved into a game of speed that "puts a lot of pressure on the linebackers."

The Cyclones were hot and cold, usually a gear behind the Big 12 competition. But Klein hopes his three years in the eye of this storm pay off.

"I'm fast and physical but at the same time, I play the game with technique and a sense of finesse that comes with the part of the game you have to think," Klein said. "I move to the ball well. When people watch me play, it just seems like it's natural for me. Nothing seems forced."

Through his three years as the starter, Klein amassed 344 tackles (19 for loss) and his four interceptions returned for touchdowns tied an NCAA record for a linebacker. He finished as a two-time all-Big 12 player and was the 2011 co-defensive player of the year.

The light bulb came on after his sophomore season. Klein admits he didn't know the entire playbook. It was a "week-to-week thing." He said he took "baby steps."

That following spring, Klein needed to make some changes.

"I took on a whole new personality," Klein said. "I kind of re-evaluated my goals, my mind-set and said, 'Hey, coming into my junior year, I want to be a difference-maker on this team. I want to be a leader.' . . . That's when the game really started slowing down for me from a mental standpoint."

This is what will make Klein different, his coach says. Mentally, defensive coordinator Wally Burnham believes Klein is a cut above. Burnham, who has coached more than 40 years, working with the likes of Deion Sanders and Derrick Brooks in college, called Klein one of the smartest players he has ever coached.

During games, the two always discussed adjustments. Burnham said Klein "religiously" studied the stances of offensive linemen and the pre-snap tendencies of running backs. During the week, he lived at the facility. In his four years, Klein missed only two practices. And even then - with bronchitis and a 103-degree temperature - Klein was on the sideline with his teammates to absorb the game plan for Iowa State's bowl game against Tulsa.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/17/3239497/iowa-states-aj-klein-thinks-he.html

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