For Bakersfield College sophomore David Halopoff, being in the middle is something he has been used to for the past two seasons.
Halopoff, who plays middle linebacker for BC’s football team, does more on the football field than most people think.
“Our middle backer is like the quarterback of our defense. He has to call our fronts and get our defensive linemen lined up correctly,” head coach Jeff Chudy said.
Halopoff added to that by saying, “We have to make sure the line is lined up right, and we have to make sure everyone’s playing the right coverage, and that everyone is playing the right gaps and knows what they’re doing, ” Halopoff said.
Halopoff feels that the hardest thing about playing middle is the fact that middle linebackers have to play both the run and the pass.
Halopoff, who is majoring in engineering and taking 13 units this semester, said that balancing school and football life can be hard because you have to balance your time.
“Football is life. It’s hard because any little chance you have, you have to do school work. After 2 o’clock, it’s all football. Once you get home, you either watch films, eat or go to sleep,” Halopoff said.
Halopoff mentioned some of his strengths and certain things that help him on the field.
“My speed helps me a lot because I am not the biggest guy out there. (Halopoff is listed at 5 feet 11 inches). Being able to get around the line without touching them (opponents) helps a lot,” said Halopoff.
Halopoff said that he needs to work on defending the cut block and reading and reacting to the play-action pass better.
He feels like this season’s defense is faster despite the fact that there are a lot of new faces.
“We have a lot of new people on here. I think we have potential. We have a lot more to grow. Our defensive line is really quick and fast. A lot of our corner and nickel guys are pretty quick. We just get to the ball really fast,” Halopoff said.
Halopoff said that his dad is the one who got him into football.
“He’s the one that put me into football and always kept me going, trying to make me better. It’s nice when he is watching me, and he’s there for me.”
Assistant coach Reggie Bolton referred to Halopoff as an intelligent player.
“He’s very smart. He understands the game and where he needs to be. Because of his intelligence, he puts himself in the best possible situation. He has a good knack for putting himself in position to make a lot of plays,” Bolton said.
Chudy added, “He’s done an outstanding job of getting ready for the season. He’s an extremely hard worker. He does a really good job of helping our team get lined up correctly. We’re really lucky to have such a committed guy.”
Halopoff, who attended Monache High School in Porterville, won a few awards in his high school football career.
He was named EYL defensive player of the year and Tri County defensive player of the year. He was also named second team all-area.