Super Bowl Update

Brynden Trawick makes one of his 20 tackles last year at WKU / Lamar Higgins photo

Here is today's story on senior safety Brynden Trawick, one of a few seniors who have a chance to get drafted or sign free agent deals. You can read it in the print edition of the Dothan Eagle on Wednesday, or on dothaneagle.com HERE.

BY DREW CHAMPLIN | dchamplin@dothaneagle.com

TROY– Troy safety Brynden Trawick has the size of a linebacker and the speed of a cornerback. His first name is often misspelled and his last name regularly mispronounced (it’s TRAH-wick). Last year’s Sun Belt leader in tackles with 123, Trawick is known for one thing.

“He’s a big safety,” Troy strength and conditioning coach Richard Shaughnessy said. “He’ll knock your head off.”

While Trawick will take the reputation of being a hard hitter, he wants to be known for something else, and if he can make that step this fall, it’ll help his 2013 NFL Draft stock rise that much further.

“I want to be known for interceptions,” Trawick said. “I want to make my mark here with picks.”

Trawick measured at about 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds during the spring at Junior Pro Day. There, he ran 4.4 (seconds) in the 40-yard dash. He jumped 36 inches in the vertical and 10.2 feet in the broad jump.

The measurables are there, but Trawick had zero interceptions last year. He lamented the opportunities he missed out on, and knows he has to take advantage of those this year to not only improve his draft stock, but help turn around Troy’s 3-9 season from a year ago. Troy opens practice Thursday at 8:15 a.m.

“I’ve just got to capitalize on all my opportunities,” Trawick said. “I had chances in the Clemson game, Arkansas, Middle Tennessee, UAB. There were a lot of games where I missed my opportunities. If I capitalize on my opportunities, I think I’ll be good.

“I could be known for (big hits), but I want to be known for more interceptions. I want to make my mark there.”

Trawick spent the first two years of his college career at Michigan State. But soon the Marietta, Ga., native realized the Big Ten school wasn’t a good fit for him. He spent his redshirt sophomore year at Northeast Mississippi Community College, honing his skills and being recruited again.

From there, Troy was the perfect fit. His father, George, went to school at Troyand was the basketball coach for DeVry in 1992 when Troy set the all-time single-game scoring record for points in a 258-141 win over DeVry.

“I haven’t talked to him about that (game) in a long time,” Trawick said. “I’m going to ask him about it one day.

“He said he went to Troy and he wanted me to stay closer to home since I was getting older. When I was up (at MSU) they weren’t able to come to my games. I said I’ll go to Troy. Troy’s a good spot, since he went here too.”

Last year, Trawick earned second-team all-conference honors. Trawick showed he was a force against the run, getting 20 tackles against Western Kentucky and 13 at Arkansas State. Still, he made it a point this spring to work on pass coverage. He had an interception return for a touchdown in the spring game.

“He’s got to get his body in better position to make those plays,” defensive coordinator Jeremy Rowell said during the spring. “He’s around the ball a lot, but he’s got to learn how to finish plays and get to the ball to make plays of that nature.”

Trawick aims high – he said he had a goal of 10 interceptions this season. If he gets that, or even half that, not only will his draft stock soar, but Troy’s defense could be vastly improved from last year’s woeful ranking of 113 out of 120 teams.

“It’s exciting to start a new season and start a new chapter in Troy football,” Trawick said. “I think we’ve got a lot of things to build off from last year, so it’s going to be exciting.”