SEMO football preview: Experienced defensive line prides itself on toughness

This story is part of the Southeast Missouri State football preview series. Click here to read about how the team's staff analyzed the injuries that plagued the Redhawks last year to strengthen and protect players.

Defensive line coach Ricky Coon's nickname has been Coon Dog for most of his life.

When the defensive linemen at Southeast Missouri State found that out last year they were quick to come up with a similar moniker for themselves as a unit.

"They kind of took it and ran. They started calling themselves the Dog Pound and it kind of stuck," Coon said with a laugh. "Now other positions call them the Dog Pound. It's just something we can identify ourselves on, something you can take pride on. Dogs are mean and get after people and that's what we want to be."

The experienced defensive line that prides itself on its toughness still goes by the "Dog Pound" as it enters the 2015 season.

Coon is confident that he's got five "B-Gap" guys that play either defensive tackle or end that are interchangeable.

Defensive ends Travis Sanders, Austin Black and Selwyn Carrol, and defensive tackles Jon Slania and John Popovich have all started at some point in their Redhawks careers.

Six-foot-2, 314-pound Marlon Hampton and 5-10, 311-pound Joshua Wilson return at nose tackle after both starting some last year.

Slania, Sanders and Hampton are at the top of the depth chart for their respective spots on the line.

Sanders, who played in eight games while struggling with back spasms, had 19 tackles -- eight for loss -- and three sacks last season, while Slania recorded 26 tackles and Wilson had 18.

Hampton, who missed the final two games with a knee injury that required offseason surgery, had 47 tackles and two sacks in nine starts last season.

Anthony Cheatum, a junior transfer from East Los Angeles Community College, only has been with the Redhawks since this summer but will add depth at nose tackle once he becomes acclimated to Division I football.

"Anytime you can have veteran guys it helps so I can spend some more time with the younger guys when I need to," Coon said. "I don't have to teach them a whole lot schematically. They know what's going on a year into it and that's made it a lot easier to focus on technique stuff. They know where they're going, now we've just got to focus on techniques, so it's huge to have veterans. And they're good leaders, too, so they help those younger guys when they need help."

While Coon was thrilled with the strength his linemen gained in the weight room during the offseason, their size -- they're " a little light body-weight wise," according to Coon -- could take a toll on the players once the season gets going.

"As you go on, as you're battling in the jungle there, your body takes that abuse and that's when you wear down," Coon said.

Throughout the season the defensive line will be reminded of their motto of "Refuse to be blocked," by Coon. The phrase also is on the cover of the linemen's binders and Coon's office door.

"Are we going to be unblocked every time? No. But we've got to play with that mentality and that's the first thing you've got to do before you get the scheme, before you get the skills," Coon said. "Before you get to any of that, you've got to set that mentality. *... If you don't play with that mentality, you don't have a chance."