Bartlett barreling his way to the top

October 17, 2009

By JEFF WINDMUELLER Independent Record

He's a bulldozer. A bruiser. A tough son of a gun when he gets the ball in his hands.

Former All-American and Carroll College tight ends coach Marshall McEwen refers to him as "a freak."

Junior quarterback Gary Wagner calls him "the Centaur."

While giving him a moniker associated with a mythological creature composed of half-man, half-horse is probably a bit of a stretch, there is little doubt to his teammates and fans that Bubba Bartlett is some sort of beast.

He has the speed of many running backs, hands like a receiver and an explosive quality that rocks any defender crazy enough to try to lower his head on the 6-foot-2, 240-pound junior.

Throw them all together and he's a different kind of chimera that has fit in perfectly with the No. 2 Saints' offense.

And, he's keeping a tradition of talented tight ends in offensive coordinator Nick Howlett's scheme alive, beginning in 1999 with former All-American and now NFL tight end Casey Fitzsimmons to McEwen, who graduated last season.

"The tight end is extremely important just because he can be a matchup problem for defense," Howlett said. "The thing to be a great tight end is you have to be well-rounded as a football player. You have to be able to do it all.

"(Bartlett's) explosiveness is second to none. He does a great job in and out of breaks, at the point of contact, he runs through tackles. He's just a great football player."

When the Saints recruited Bartlett from his hometown of Rathdrum, Idaho, they were looking for a type of mold that made him hard as a rock and yet flexible enough to fit into just about any position.

Howlett said he often looks for athletes who are good basketball players - big guys with strong hands - or oversized running backs like McEwen.

Bartlett had all the physical traits, but what got him on the field as a true freshman was his ability to learn the offense. He did his homework over the summer and came prepared for the Saints before even stepping on the practice field.

"Mentally, he was ready to play," said Saints head coach Mike Van Diest. "We looked at him and said there's no doubt we could play him."

Not only did he have the perfect mind to pick up the offense, but also the ability to let pressure fall by the wayside.

"Coming in as a freshman and playing, obviously you felt some pressure, but it's only the pressure you created," Bartlett said. "Once it went away, it was pretty cool.

"Now, I don't necessarily feel any pressure after following Marshall, who was an excellent tight end and person."

"He's not thinking about 'oh, I've gotta make this catch' or 'Marshall would've made that block.' He never thinks of anything like that," Wagner said. "But he knows his position is a desired position to play, especially in our offense."

Why wouldn't it be?

With former tight ends getting all-star accolades and a big piece of the offensive action - McEwen was second on the squad in receptions his senior year, averaging 2.8 catches and 29.3 yards per game - it's a position any big guy would want to play.

Right now, Bartlett is averaging a team-high 7.1 receptions for 70.3 yards per game.

"Obviously, I've never loved football more than right now," Bartlett said. "It's pretty cool just the different things we're doing on the offense."

He's been moved around from the usual tight end position off the shoulder of an offensive tackle or in the backfield to the slot receiver and even out wide. Where ever he is, he's giving defenses another reason to worry.

"I know how valuable tight ends are from the defensive standpoint," Van Diest said. "It's another dimension, another problem you have to face on defense. Who's going to cover him? Do you cover him with the safety? Do you cover him with the linebacker?"

Most have failed to keep up with him. Wagner pointed out how Bartlett was able to break double coverage in last week's 32-0 win over MSU-Northern for some big catches.

And when defenses overcompensate, they give up big plays like sophomore receiver Lat Wipplinger's 22-yard game-winning touchdown catch in Carroll's 17-10 win over the University of Montana Western.

After watching Bartlett catch bubble screen after bubble screen, three Western defenders bit when backup quarterback Dane Broadhead pump-faked to the tight end in the flats. As soon as the Bulldogs' defenders sprung on Bartlett, Broadhead looked downfield for a wide-open Wipplinger.

While Bartlett served as a good decoy, the quarterbacks have been willing to throw in his direction even when he's covered.

That's probably because everyone wants to see what he's going to do next.

Montana Tech freshman Jordan Heringer will likely remember - or perhaps not - the licking Bartlett put on him the last time the two teams met.

After a short catch along Tech's sidelines, Bartlett turned up field and saw the 5-foot-10, 177-pound cornerback closing in on him.

Bartlett lowered his head and nearly left tracks on the young 'Digger as he went another 5 yards. Bartlett hopped away to some big cheers. Heringer, just a few yards from the sideline, crawled off the field.

"Bubba's not the biggest tight end, but that explosiveness at the point of impact I don't think is something you can coach," Howlett said. "It's just natural. Some guys have it, and I think Bubba definitely does."

Where does he fit on the scale of other great Carroll tight ends?

It's hard to say. He still has another season and a half ahead of him, but at the rate he's going he could be the third All-American tight end for the Saints in the last decade.

"Obviously that's quite an honor and I think any college athlete strives to be like that," Bartlett said. "If it doesn't happen it's not a big deal. It's not like it's the end of the world or anything. I'd rather work hard toward a goal with my teammates than worry about if I'm All-American status or not."

Jeff Windmueller: 447-4065 or

 

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