Defensive leader makes a change for IU this spring

After the Michigan game Oct. 2, senior John Pannozzo should have seen it coming.\nWhat he should have seen is that his fullback career at IU would be finished soon, and he would move to a career in which he would give out the hits rather than take them.\nGarnering a top-10 Play of the Week on ESPN after his ferocious hit on a Wolverine punt returner would be the start to a change in position for the Brooklyn, N.Y., native.\nFor three years, Pannozzo played fullback under former football coach Gerry DiNardo. Now, under new coach Terry Hoeppner, Pannozzo will spearhead the defense from the middle linebacker position. \nAs the spread offense came with the new regime, Pannozzo knew he might have to change roles, he said.\n"It wasn't a total shock," Pannozzo said. "With the new offense and everything I wasn't sure where I was going to fit offensively and if there was going to be a big role for me or not -- so I was open minded."\nThough it had been some time since Pannozzo played linebacker, he has experience. While at Poly Prep High School, he had 89 tackles with five sacks en route to All-State honors.\nNow, as spring practice enters its final days, Pannozzo said he feels he's starting to get a better understanding of the defense and all of his responsibilities.\nHaving two important intangibles -- physicalness and intelligence -- makes Pannozzo a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, said linebackers coach George Ricumstrict.\n"I think where he is at in understanding our defense and the way he's performed throughout spring is really unbelievable for a kid that hasn't played defense since high school," Ricumstrict said. "He is like the quarterback of our defense. His intelligence has really shown and he's aggressive and he'll attack you."\nGetting adjusted to the complexities is one of the many challenges that Pannozzo has faced since making the change.\nOne advantage Pannozzo now has at the linebacker spot is the experience of blocking linebackers from position at fullback. \nHaving been in running back film sessions has helped him learn where to be on the field, he said.\nAnother aid to re-learning the position are his teammates. The most experienced member of the linebacking corps, senior Kyle Killion, actually gave up his position at middle linebacker to move to outside linebacker to make room for Pannozzo.\nHaving another person on the field to make hits and help the Hoosier defense is a welcomed sight, Killion said.\n"He's a playmaker, he flies around the ball and tackles real hard so that is what a middle linebacker should do," he said. "(Pannozzo being with us) helps us out a lot. Linebackers get hit every play and you get dinged up every once in a while so we need a lot more bodies, so Pannozzo is a great player to have for the linebacker (spot)."\nAfter 13 days of practice, Pannozzo said he now feels at home in his new position as everything has begun to become second nature. But Ricumstrict isn't worried about Pannozzo not being up to game speed. Players staying healthy and having a good time in the spring game are his top priorities.\nNow with Pannozzo on the other side of the ball, he is planning to have fun at the opponents' expense, he said.\n"(It) is definitely a lot of fun, blocking was a great thing for me," Pannozzo said. "Being on defense now, flying around and making plays and just hitting people -- it is a lot of fun and I'm glad to be on the defensive side."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.