MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – You’re Keilen Dykes and you’re working your tail off this summer getting ready to take on all those big guards and tackles you’ve got to face this fall on a weekly basis. That’s reason enough to stay in top shape. But Dykes has come up with another reason.

	West Virginia's Keilen Dykes is coming off a five-sack, eight-tackle-for-loss eason in 2006. Pete Emerson photo

“I’m just trying to stay fit for the ladies as always,” he joked.

Not only does Dykes eat quarterbacks for lunch and consume running backs for dinner, when the games are over and he’s showered up and looking good he turns into WVU’s version of Leon Phelps, better known as the Ladies Man.

Ever had one of those evenings when you wanted to stay in but your hair just looked too good not to? Keilen knows what you’re going through.

“Hey, it’s working for me,” Dykes shrugs.

In all seriousness, Dykes is out there sweating away like the rest of his teammates providing a good example to all the younger players. Dykes’ message is simple: this is the way we do things around here.

“I’m trying to step up and be a leader,” Dykes said. “I’m trying to get the guys out there to do a little bit extra every day -- trying to stay positive and be a complete player both on and off the field.”

The 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound Youngstown, Ohio, resident had a pretty good sophomore season in 2005 accumulating 29 tackles, eight tackles for losses and five sacks. But Dykes realizes there is still a lot of room for improvement. He has the physical ability to be a Mario Williams, a Broderick Bunkley or a Haloti Ngata – game changers.

“I think there is always something still left out on the field that you can do to get better at. I’m never satisfied,” he admitted. “There is still food on the plate that I’m ready to eat. I’m ready to go for another year.”

Dykes has always been good at stopping the run. To become one of the elite players in the country he’s got to become more of a force rushing the passer. And there isn’t a day that goes by this summer that he doesn’t think about that.

“I’m just trying to work on the pass rush a little more; try to bend the edge, flip the hips and stuff like that,” he said.

In years past, media scrutiny has focused on West Virginia’s defensive line and linebackers. This year the onus falls directly on the shoulders of a young and inexperienced secondary.

“I think the secondary is going to be good,” Dykes offered. “There are people back there that want to prove something so I think that’s going to give them a little edge and a chip on their shoulders.”

A defense can be good with an average secondary. It cannot be good with an average defensive line.

“It starts up front no matter what,” Dykes said. “Every team the defensive line has got to set the tone. If we get blown back it’s going to trickle down. The linebackers are going to get blown back and then it’s all over.”

Despite winning the Sugar Bowl and having a defense that was nationally ranked for most of the year, Dykes says it can be much better in 2006.

“There are still players out there that have got to prove a lot of things,” he said. “I think this year is going to be like last year. A lot of players want to go out and prove who they are and what they are.”

The nice part about West Virginia’s evolving odd-stack defense is that it is becoming increasingly more athletic. It has taken a while for the coaching staff to fit the right personnel to its schemes and Dykes admits that there are more athletes today flying around on defense than at any time since he’s been here.

“That’s good recruiting,” he says. “They’re bringing in good players and players that want to learn and who want to get better. Mike Barwis and the strength coaches downstairs are also doing a good job of getting us stronger and working on our agility.”

However, athletic ability is only one part of the equation, according to Dykes.

“You have got to have the hard edge like Coach Rod says. If you play for West Virginia you better bring it every day or they are going to get it out of you,” Dykes mentioned. “Either way you’re going to have to work. That’s the way you’ve got to play football anyway.”

Dykes says there are some younger players working in his group of defensive linemen that are ready to make an impact this fall.

“I think James Ingram and Scooter Berry will be real good players,” Dykes said. “It’s only a matter of time for them if they keep on lifting and putting some more weight on.”

Dykes lists their strengths: “They’re both fast. James Ingram has good acceleration and I think Scooter Berry is a little Darryl Tapp (Virginia Tech’s standout defensive end). He’s short; he’s always got good leverage and he plays hard.”

Both freshmen are presently in the 260-to-270-pound range but Dykes thinks that is still big enough for them to play this year.

“Certain guys may not be that big but can still play. They may go out there and surprise you with their size,” he said. “They’re big enough to play but Coach (Bill) Kirelawich likes those big, big guys. It’s all about who Kirlav likes anyways.”

Of course Keilen Dykes has become one of Kirlav’s boys.

“Whoever he likes cussing at the most is going to play,” Dykes laughed. “He’s always cussing at me so I guess I’m doing something.

“I’m not forgotten.”



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