The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

The man in the middle

In his third year as a Saluki linebacker, Royal Whitaker is one of the best at his position in school history.

He leads the team with 54 tackles, 30 of which have been solo, and is 24th on the all-time SIU tackles list with a year and a half to go. Should he stay at his current pace, he will easily break the top 10.

Whitaker is also one of the best linebackers in the Gateway Conference and always seems to be where the ball is- but no one really knows why.

"I've been trying to figure that out for three years now," said Tony Rinella, SIU's other starting linebacker, commenting on Whitaker's uncanny knack for being at the right place at the right time. "He's just got football instincts. He's a natural football player.

"That's why he's so good, and that's why he's going to be good." In some ways, Whitaker needs that instinct.

He does not have an intimidating presence, one would not know he is listed at 6-feet-tall and 230 pounds by looking at him, and he is not the fastest man on the field.

He's certainly not going to inspire fear through his personality, either. Talking to him, you see the opposite of a one who makes his living on attitude such as borderline psychopathic NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski.

Whitaker is a guy that is not only reserved, but much more likely to flash you a smile than punch you in the face.

Yet he is the center man in arguably the best defense in Division I-AA, and is doing it through a combination of instinct, intelligence and what head coach Jerry Kill calls "game speed."

"Royal, when you put him on the clock, may not run the fastest 40 time, but he plays at a fast pace," Kill said.

Whitaker credits preparation and experience for his game speed. Teammates say he is a film junkie, which helps him know where to be and when, and Whitaker said he can get from one place to another much faster than when he was a freshman.

It's not because he's that much faster than he was in 2002, it's because of field awareness, something safety Alexis Moreland has used to progress his own impressive career.

"Knowledge plays a bigger part in the game than most people think," Moreland said.

"Knowledge is part of instinct - going into the film room, reading scouting reports, knowing your opponent and being able to come out here and translate it on the field."

Kill said Whitaker also had a terrific foundation to build on when he came to SIU because of great coaching in high school. Whitaker comes from Olathe North High School, one of the better programs in the state.

Armed with knowledge, Whitaker has done well for himself, but his most lethal weapon is still seen as his instinct.

Kill said that cannot be measured in a linebacker, but all the greats have it - as does Whitaker.

"That's an intangible. You either got instincts or you don't," Kill said. "The great linebackers got instincts. Ray Lewis has great instinct, and that's the way Royal is.

Ironically, Whitaker almost never played the sport that seems to be hardwired into him. His parents, who have made it to every single one of his games despite living in Kansas, encouraged him to be a wrestler, although they later encouraged him in football after he rejected wrestling.

"I don't really like all that one-on-one rolling around on the mat stuff," Whitaker said. "I'd rather put some pads on and hit you."

He started football in fourth grade, a time he said was most influential in his career as a linebacker. His little league coach gave him advice he still uses today.

"If you don't know a play, you're not sure, just get down there and find the ball," Whitaker's coach told him. "You'll be right every time."

Whitaker was also drawn to the team aspect of football. He is now the captain of the linebackers and, in many ways, the quarterback of the defense.

Kill said Whitaker leads by example, comparing him to quarterback Joel Sambursky. He has to lead by example because, like most of his teammates, he's a pretty quiet guy.

Whitaker is not talkative around people he does not know, media included. Even with those he does know, like his teammates, he does not say much.

Kill said this can be a positive because especially on the field, people listen when Whitaker does say something. But don't let his solemn demeanor fool you into thinking he's not intense on the field, teammates say.

Whitaker has, and always will be lethal between the lines.

"He's night and day," Rinella said. "He doesn't talk off the football field, but on the football field he's making big plays left and right.

"He's just out there killing people."