Nov. 16, 2002

By Alison Hischak
Athletic Communications Graduate Intern

Ask Matt Hinzpeter and Casey McKeen what position they play on the football field and both guys will most likely crack a huge smile. They both play on the defensive line and could not be happier.

"I love defense," said McKeen, the senior defensive end. "I was an offensive and defensive lineman in high school. You get a sense of power when you're the one chasing the running back and he's running away from you. There is a lot more glory on the defensive side of the ball."

"I'd rather play defense than offense," Hinzpeter said. "Defense is totally different. I think there is a different mentality on both sides of the ball. I like being part of the craziness of the defense. Your responsibilities aren't complicated. You just go out there and play football."

Head coach Frank Tavani agreed that there are slight differences between defensive and offensive players.

"Defensive players can be a little bit looser and play with more reckless abandon," Tavani said. "It's not quite as complicated as offense. But, both sides have to be very aggressive. It's an aggressive and physical game. You like your defensive players to have a little bit more hostile mentality to bring to the table and try to intimidate the offense."

Though McKeen and Hinzpeter are regulars in the defensive lineup, their Leopard careers have taken different paths.

A native of Mays Landing, N.J., McKeen admits that high school football was not a big deal. Perhaps because his team played Saturday afternoon games - not the traditional Friday nights - due to a lack of lights, he suggested. However, when it came time for college football, McKeen was excited to start at Lafayette.

"I liked the idea of a small school, with not a lot of students," McKeen said. "I had heard that a quarter of all the students were athletes, and I thought that was kind of cool. I was told I had a chance to play right away, and I was pretty blown away by that."

McKeen did jump right into the action, earning the long-snapper job his freshman year. Expected to step into the defensive rotation his second season, McKeen sustained a season-ending injury to his quadricep at the end of preseason camp. He didn't return to action until spring practice, with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

"I was nervous because I had missed the whole year," he said. "I think that year my grades were the worst by far because I was depressed. I was supposed to play a lot that year. It was going to be my first year on varsity defense, so I was definitely anxious to get back."

Two years later, McKeen is one of the Leopards' starting defensive ends and a leader of the unit.

"I like to be the guy that tries to get the other guys going during the game," he said. "I'm not a big yeller on the sidelines. I think you just go in and play, and however you play, people will follow."

While McKeen is a key player in the Leopards' defense, Hinzpeter plays a smaller role, but one that Tavani points out is just as important.

"He has been a great role model for our younger kids, in that he's a senior and he works extremely hard," Tavani said. "He has a limited role and he knew that going into the season. He's willing to do whatever it takes to help the football team. He just continues to have a positive attitude and great work ethic."

"I'm never one to quit something I've started," Hinzpeter said. "I have a lot of determination. If someone tells me I can't do something, then I try and do it even harder. I wanted to prove myself to everybody and I feel like I have. I'm happy with being given the opportunity to play."

Making it easier for Hinzpeter to accept his role on the team is his emphasis on academics. A friend of his from high school started at Lafayette the year before him and was the first one to suggest a visit to College Hill.

"I was looking for a Patriot League or Ivy League school because of the academics," said the psychology and business and economics double major. "She was telling me about Lafayette and I came and visited and really liked it."

Hinzpeter has been recognized twice for his academics - once in high school and once in college. A 1998 recipient of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award, Hinzpeter's name is listed with other student-athletes on a plaque at Giants Stadium, where the award ceremony was held. Hinzpeter is also one of six Leopards who were named to the Verizon District II Academic All-America football team last season.

"I know I'm here for academics more than football," he said. "I don't think I'll be playing much after this, so I'm trying to take advantage of the excellent education here."

Hinzpeter and McKeen also have an outlet besides football. Hinzpeter spends some of his spare time working as a disc jockey at parties and putting together CDs, while McKeen was a member of the Leopards' track team last spring.

A couple of weekends ago, Hinzpeter took teammates Adam Allen and Paul Kingston to help him out with a party he worked for rival Lehigh students. Even though they play for the rivals, Hinzpeter said the party went well and helped to increase his interest in music.

"It's always been something that I have wanted to do," Hinzpeter said. "I applied for an externship working for a recording academy. I'm still trying to decide what I want to do, so I want to try this and see if it works out for me."

McKeen, meanwhile, was a member of his high school track team and started working out with the discus two summers ago. The former interest renewed itself and McKeen decided to join the Leopards' program.

"It was a fun experience," McKeen said. "I made a whole lot of new friends on the track team. We went to Virginia for a week for training and competition, and that was definitely a good experience."

While McKeen and Hinzpeter have lives away from the football field, they agree that the defensive line as a whole is a tight group.

"We're friends off the field, so it helps us play together on the field," Hinzpeter said. "We're always joking around. None of us are tense. We're pretty relaxed and easy-going. We know it's a game, so we're out there to have fun and play hard, but at the same time, we want to win. We know the boundaries between being obsessed with the sport and having fun."

For McKeen and Hinzpeter, fun is lining up on the defensive side of the ball and just waiting to make that next big hit. Then watch for the smile.