Fernandez: Rookie to veteran in a snap

By Pete Mollica

The California native was the only player to start every game for the Penguins, whose defensive line was in shambles because of injuries.

YOUNGSTOWN — Last fall when junior college transfer Crispin Fernandez arrived on the Youngstown State campus he was the new guy on a veteran defensive line for the Penguin football team.

Four games into the 2008 season the 5-foot-10, 280-pound tackle was the veteran on that defensive line.

Injuries tore apart the Youngstown State defense last season, especially the line, where three of the team’s four starters missed all or most of the season.

Fernandez a Porterville, Calif., native who played two seasons at Bakersfield Community College, was the only player on the entire YSU defensive unit to start all 12 games last season.

He was credited with taking 626 total snaps with the defense, which was almost 300 more than any other defensive lineman who played last season.

And it wasn’t an easy season.

“Every week I seemed to have somebody different playing next to me,” he said. “It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if I wasn’t a new player on the team and was just learning the system myself.

“Early on we had a lot of young players coming into play, and I was trying to help them the best that I could, but at the same time I was still learning myself,” Fernandez said.

Small for a defensive lineman (5-10 is being generous) Fernandez makes up for size with his quickness and strength and continues to impress the coaches this spring.

“It’s really nice this spring having everybody back on the line,” Fernandez added. “I’m really enjoying it more and things are really shaping up and we don’t even have Mychal [Savage] back yet.”

Savage, a senior All-American tackle, missed all of last season because of the injury he sustained in the season opener at Ohio State and his injury was just the start of a long list of injuries that depleted the entire defensive unit.

“Mychal’s the man on defense,” Fernandez said. “He’s the guy we missed most last year and the guy we need back as quickly as possible this year.”

Fernandez said that he was recruited to the Penguins by former defensive coordinator Jeff Mills.

“Coach Mills saw me playing in junior college back in California and if it wasn’t for him recruiting me, I’d probably be playing for some NAIA school out on the coast,” Fernandez added.

Last year Fernandez earned second team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors and was named the conference’s all-newcomer team. He was also voted the YSU Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the season’s end.

In 12 games Fernandez totaled 42 tackles including 20 solos. He led the team with 6.5 tackles for losses and four quarterback sacks and eight quarterback hurries. He had a season high six tackles at Missouri State.

Fernandez is excited about the upcoming season.

“You’re going to see a big difference in this defense than the one you saw last year,” he added. “I know that I feel a lot more comfortable and have learned so much over the course of the season.”

Fernandez has played every position on the defensive front and it really doesn’t matter to him where he plays. He’s listed as the team’s defensive end.

“It doesn’t matter where I play, inside or outside, wherever they need me I’m ready to play there,” he said. “We’re looking to have a lot more fun this season.”

mollica@vindy.com