There isn’t any place Dustin Metz would rather be after school during the fall than on a football field practicing for Seymour’s next football game.
He has been a defensive player for most of his career.
“I like to hit people,” Metz said. “When people ask me why I don’t play offense I say ‘I like to give the hits, not take them.’”
Metz began his football career playing in the PAL (Police Athletic League) in Columbus.
“I watched baseball, but I watched football with my parents, and I liked it so they decided to put me in it,” he said
He then played in the Seymour Elementary League, and at Seymour Middle School before moving up to the high school.
“My freshman year they put me at offensive line,” Metz said. He played one year of freshman ball, one year on the junior varsity, and last year started at linebacker.
“Last year we had walk-down linebackers. I played the ‘C’ gap, so it’s like the same position.”
In 2016 Metz made 33 tackles with six assists and four sacks.
The senior said he has enjoyed the change to defensive end this fall.
“When I played linebacker I felt I didn’t see the plays as well,” Metz said. “At D end, I feel like I can read the play better. We read the tackle or tight ends, and the linebackers read the guards.”
“I play weak side. Whenever we call strength we switch sides. Whichever side the strength is on, the corners will flip-flop. Out there on the field communication is important. When they get lined up, the linebackers will be calling out the play, pointing where it will be going, so if we stop the hole they want to go to, they have to go somewhere they don’t want to go to.”
Metz’s playing weight is 170 pounds, so when he takes on an offensive tackle, on most plays he will be going against a player several pounds heavier.
“I’ll use my quickness, get off the ball faster, get my hands on him and once my hands are on and my thumbs are up, he can’t make my elbows bend, so it’s like I locked him out and keep separation,” Metz said.
He said he likes the strategy involved in getting to the player with the ball.
“I contain and get ‘hands on’ and keep them off the linebackers,” Metz said. “Whenever they snap the ball I always keep my eyes in the backfield to see which way they’re running.
“They say in the defensive line we have four ‘eyes,’ our hands and our eyes. What we do in practice we have pursuit drills. You go as deep as the deepest man so if the running back is in the backfield and he is taking off the opposite way, (the coaches) want us to trail from behind, and he turns around we’re there.”
Metz talked about the importance of practice.
“Last week when we played East, the coaches felt like we just wanted to get through practice, that we actually didn’t want to practice, so this week we need to treat it like a game,” he said.
“The mental part, when we’re out there on the field the coaches tell us to respect each other so that if something happens, we’ll get them on the next play, help them out and keep everybody up, encourage each other.”
Metz said he plans on competing in the high jump and long jump in track in the spring.
He said he has enjoyed his time with the football team.
“I’ll remember the bus rides,” Metz said. “Going to games and winning and coming back — the bus is always the best. The bus rides are always the best when you win. Have fun.”
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Name: Dustin Metz
School: Seymour High School
Parent: Jenni Metz
Sports: Football, four years
Plans after high school: Undecided
Favorite musician: Jason Aldean
Favorite team: Indianapolis Colts
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What: Seymour (1-2) at Floyd Central (2-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Scott Field
Radio: 92.7 Nash Icon
Last outing: Seymour lost to Columbus East 44-6, Floyd Central def. Madison 27-10.
Most recent meeting: Seymour won 36-35 on Sept. 9, 2016.
Series past 30 years: Seymour 11-9.
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