Coming into SMU’s summer training camp, there was a battle brewing for the second inside linebacker spot opposite Johnathan Yenga.
Most members of the media saw it as a three-man race between Nick Horton, and transfers Cameron Nwosu and Caleb Tuiasosopo.
So, no one expected for John Bordano to be the guy in that spot when SMU takes on Baylor on Sunday, but he is.
Horton was the starter for the first half of camp, when he went down with an injury, Bordano leap-frogged Nwosu and Tuiasosopo into the starting lineup.
“[Horton] went down and he is still working on his injury,” Bordano said. “I think he still may be able to play [this week], but we are just going to prepare like I’m going to start- I mean that’s what I’ve been doing all camp. [Defensive coordinator Tom Mason’s] done a great job of getting me ready, I’ve been going in and watching film with him so I feel really comfortable.”
Stepping into the starting lineup is not something new to Bordano, whose career at SMU has been as somewhat of a human Band-Aid.
Anytime someone got hurt, Bordano was one Mason’s first choices to plug the whole.
“That was my job last year- to step in when someone gets hurt and just to be mentally prepared,” Bordano said. “I think having that under my belt helped me step up [during camp] and I’m looking forward to seeing where things go.”
Bordano joined the Mustangs in 2010 and was redshirted. He didn’t see significant game time until 2013, when he played in all 12 games- making nine tackles (seven unassisted), recovering a fumble and breaking up a pass.
The ability of Bordano to step up and take the place of a starter is a testament not only to Bordano’s talent, but to the depth Mason has to work with on defense.
“Some of our two are just as good as our ones and that’s just how it goes,” Bordano said. “But only 11 can play and the best 11 will. So when somebody gets hurt we got to step up and make sure there is no drop off and that’s nice to have.”
Filling in for an injured player and having to play in a big game, is the a close equivalent of being the sixth man in basketball. You don’t get to warm up like the starters and you don’t see as much practice time either.
“It’s just being mentally prepared,” Bordano said. “Always going over the game plan, always knowing what we have implemented for this week, knowing our checks and who we are preparing for.”
One of the reason’s Mason feels comfortable plugging in Bordano is that he embraces the Mason’s defensive philosophies, like the importance of ‘next play.’
“We always talk about next play,” Bordano said. “You can’t change what happened the play before. If you dwell on that last play then you will mess up on the next one and the next one. So basically, it is just clearing your mind and focusing on what your job is and executing it.”
Bordano had a chance to see the impact of the ‘next play’ mindset when he was part of the SMU defense in 2012 that posted two shutouts, tied an NCAA season record for pick-sixes, and tied for third in the country in total takeaways.
Creating turnovers has been heavily stressed by Mason this summer.
“Whenever we do get that first turnover, we have to build off of that,” Bordano said. “Like one time in practice we had like eight turnovers and you could tell that after each one we got more and more excited and by the end of practice it was unbelievable nobody was tired and that’s what we are looking for- that excitement and to build off of everything.”
Bordano and the defense will have their work cut out for them on Sunday. It is one thing to force turnovers in practice, but its another thing to do it on a big stage.
“I’m excited- it’s going to be fun going down there and trying to get a big upset in their first game in that stadium,” Bordano said. “We are already deep into the game plan and we know what we are going to do, now it’s just fine tuning it. It will definitely be an awesome crowd and I’m looking forward to it- all of us are.”
