Trinity linebacker has made transition from offense to defense

Offenses usually get all the glory.

Maybe that’s why Trinity’s Devin Abdullah, listed at fullback last spring, initially wanted to make sure the experiment he’d been enlisted in was just that, a temporary assignment. With four games under his belt at linebacker, though, the senior feels right at home stopping the run and is making strides in pass coverage as well.

Through three games, Abdullah was the Trojans’ second-leading tackler, averaging over seven stops per game, behind strong safety Justus Gregg. Trinity coach Chris Jensen said that Abdullah’s work ethic is no small part of what has made the transition such a smooth one.

“He’s one of the hardest workers we’ve ever had,” Jensen said. “He accepted it in the spring but was worried about losing his spot on offense. I just told him to trust us, that we wouldn’t leave him there any longer than we really needed him there.”

Well, the need is still there, and Abdullah is more than capably filling it. With Trinity’s stable of runners on offense, including Ja’Ron Wilson, who scored four touchdowns against Galena Park North Shore, De’Juan Garrett, who scored three against Rockwall, and two de facto fullbacks in Keion Griffin and quarterback Tyler Natee, there was a bit more room to flourish for the wide body on the defensive side of the ball entering his senior season.

“I’m very comfortable on defense,” Abdullah said. “And I’m very comfortable with Keion Griffin in the fullback position, too. He’s doing a much better job there than I did as a junior. Every game he’s pancaking dudes on blocks, so it’s worked out on both sides of the ball for us. I just love being a part of this team.”

After settling in, both player and coach are pleased with the results of the position switch.

“Now we look back at it as one of those experiments that really worked out well, and I couldn’t be happier for him,” Jensen said.

But switching from fullback to linebacker didn’t come without an adjustment period. While Abdullah (5-11, 212 lbs.) was familiar with the position inasmuch as linebackers were some of his most frequent targets for blocks through his first three years of high school football, the mentality and the execution took time to grasp.

“The defense liked him because he’s a pretty thick kid and he understands the physical part of the game,” Jensen said. “Getting downhill and filling his gap against the run; that’s his comfort zone. The pass coverage thing was real foreign, and when you flip over to the other side, it just looks totally different, so that takes some time.”

“I always tell them on defense that they’re drawing their plays upside down.”

Jensen was offensive coordinator under 15-year Trojans coach Steve Lineweaver before taking over as head coach before this season. He knows what kind of player Abdullah is.

At his core, the linebacker hasn’t changed just because his responsibilities have on the field. Sure, Abdullah now focuses on shedding blocks and getting to the ball instead of blocking and creating running lanes for his running backs, but in the end, Abdullah is the same behind-the-scenes, blue-collar worker he’s always been.

“He’s always given us good, solid, consistent play,” Jensen said. “He’s not a ‘wow’ guy, but you look over the course of a game and he always grades out.”

The Trojans (4-0), who are ranked No. 4 in Class 6A in the latest Associated Press poll, go on the road Thursday for their first District 7-6A test at Colleyville Heritage (2-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Mustang-Panther Stadium in Grapevine.

Heritage, which was ousted in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs last year, dropped its final non-district tuneup last week, 42-27, at Arlington Bowie. The Panthers feature a big-time receiving threat in Ke’Von Ahmad (6-0, 185), who has tallied 411 receiving yards in the first four games of the season and has scored nine total touchdowns.

“Obviously we play some very tough teams, but we’ve got to take it week to week if we want to have the kind of success we’re capable of,” Abdullah said. “We’re going up against a really talented team this week, so it doesn’t help to look ahead too much.”

This story was originally published September 21, 2015 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Trinity linebacker has made transition from offense to defense."