Practice pays off for Odom

JONESBORO -- Brandon Joiner hadn't been back at his alma mater for a month last spring, when the Arkansas State graduate assistant was peppered with requests for workouts with players.

Joiner was the Sun Belt Conference defensive player of the year in 2011, so it made sense that he'd be a popular choice of players seeking out pass-rushing tips.

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ARKANSAS STATE VS. LOUISIANA-MONROE

WHEN 6 p.m., Saturday

WHERE Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro

RECORDS Arkansas State 2-4, 2-0 Sun Belt Conference; Louisiana-Monroe 2-5, 1-2

RADIO KASR-FM, 92.7, in Little Rock/Conway; KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro

INTERNET ESPN3.com

"They'd say 'Hey, I heard you played in the league and I need to get some sacks,'" Joiner said this week. "A lot of guys said that. But a lot of guys didn't come."

Chris Odom did.

The senior from Arlington, Texas, spent his first three seasons playing behind Chris Stone, or shoved inside to play defensive tackle because of a team need. Heading into this season, Odom's biggest contribution might have been the three blocked field goals he had last season.

But Odom might be ASU's biggest surprise through the first half of this season. He had three sacks in a victory over South Alabama, and his 5 sacks lead the team and are more than he had in his first three seasons combined.

"Night and day difference," Coach Blake Anderson said about his improvement.

"He's a guy that feeds off confidence, feeds off success, and if he has success, he wants more and more," said defensive coordinator Joe Cauthen.

Anderson attributed the improvement to opportunity. With the departure of Stone, Odom saw an opening on the depth chart. He took hold of the position during fall camp and has yet to let go.

Cauthen said the turnaround is rooted in timing. Odom is a senior, and so Cauthen said he might have felt the clock on his career ticking a bit faster.

Odom doesn't disagree with either theory.

"It's my turn," he said. "Somebody had to step up, why not me?"

But improvement that allowed Odom to take advantage of those opportunities was likely made last summer, on the hot turf at Centennial Bank Stadium with Joiner.

Joiner had arrived at ASU in April to work with defensive line coach Brian Early, back at his alma mater since he totaled 13 sacks as a senior.

He signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, but never played in a game after serving nine months in prison on a felony drug possession charge stemming from a robbery while a freshman at Texas A&M, and then an ACL tear. But his experiences led to him being regularly sought after by current ASU players, one of those being Odom.

"He's been to the next level," Odom said. "Why not listen him?"

So while coaches were recruiting or traveling to summer-time football camps, the two got together about every other day. Joiner would wait for Odom would finish weigh lifting, then they'd meet on the field. They'd work on hand placement, footwork and pad levels as Joiner showed him what was so effective for him.

When they were done, they'd go watch film. They watched Joiner's highlights, and also Von Miller, J.J. Watt, Aaron Donald and Demarcus Ware. Odom, Joiner said, proved to be a quick learner.

"With Chris, I could tell him and then show him, and he would be able to do it," Joiner said. "It wasn't too much technique stuff I had to teach, but more the mentality behind it and getting that beast out of him."

Joiner isn't the only person Odom can ask about NFL experiences. His father, Cliff, played 13 years in the NFL with the Browns, Colts and Dolphins. But those experiences were at linebacker. So while Odom has listened to his dad all his life, the voice from a fellow defensive end helped.

"My dad, he understands what it takes to get there, but coach Joiner understands the technique and the little, critical things and position specific things," he said. "I wouldn't say I listen to him more than my dad, I listen to both, but he just helps me with fundamental work."

Odom broke out first against Utah State, when he had 9 tackles, 2 sacks and forced a fumble in the ASU loss. Then he had the three sacks and forced a fumble against South Alabama.

The results are showing, as Odom, who was part of Bryan Harsin's only signing class as ASU coach, is finally making an impact on defense.

"A lot more confident in my abilities," he said. "I'm more comfortable out there now than I ever have been."

Sports on 10/28/2016

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