What makes Gustafson's position so important is that he does not have just one job. As the rover, he is responsible for often covering a fleet wide receiver. Yet he has to be tough enough to take on a huge pulling guard and then punish a juking running back. But I still consider myself an outside linebacker. Don't ask Gustafson.
Nobody knows what that means.
Smith certainly does. He needs to be affective in both the run and the pass responsibilities. They're not the biggest guys, but they need to be athletic enough to be involved in all types of plays. His senior season he averaged more than 10 tackles a game, intercepted two passes, recovered four fumbles, blocked two kicks - and that was just on defense. He ran for more than 900 yards and scored 17 touchdowns in leading the Thunderbirds to the Class 3A semifinals.