Conwell Brings Rare Talent to Linebacker Spot
September 2, 2004

He may be 6-2, 225 pounds and musclebound, but there was a time when Ashland University linebacker Devin Conwell (Baltimore, MD/Montgomery C.C.) shared a lot in common with an egret.

For those of you who haven’t renewed your Audubon Society membership, the egret is a pencil-thin heron that’s spent time over the years on the Endangered Species List. That’s where Conwell, a second team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference linebacker in 2003, found himself before finding a home in Ashland.

Conwell had played one year of junior college football at Montgomery (MD) Community College. That was in the fall of 2002. That spring, much to his surprise, the school eliminated the football program. Conwell found himself floating in limbo.

“Coach (Steve) Clinkscale got me here,” said Conwell. “He recruited a couple of us out of junior college, but I was the only one who ended up coming. He talked to us and I sent up some film. When Montgomery shut down, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was lost and thank God for Coach Clinkscale. He gave me a second chance.”

That’s more than Conwell gave GLIAC running backs, receivers and quarterbacks last season. Conwell had 121 tackles (64 solo), five quarterback sacks, 17 tackles for loss and three interceptions. His tackle total was the highest by an AU player since 1996. A two-time GLIAC player of the week, Conwell was eighth in the conference in tackles and third in tackles for loss.

As those numbers indicate, Conwell has made himself at home at AU as an inside linebacker.

“It was a bit tough at first, but this is the best thing for me,” said Conwell of being six hours away from home and in a rural setting. “It keeps me focused. Ohio embraces football, it’s more of a football state than Maryland. It’s easier to focus out here.”

Several Division I schools focused on Conwell coming out of high school. He visited the University of Pittsburgh and Temple and had looks from Illinois and Kent State. He liked Temple because it was just 90 minutes from home.

When that didn’t work out, Conwell stayed in his home state to play football. What became evident to coaches in each state and at every level was that Conwell was an outstanding linebacker.

“He’s probably one of our best athletes,” said AU defensive coordinator Jim Meyer. “He’s what we’re looking for, he has size and speed. He’s physical enough to handle the run and athletic enough to drop into pass coverage. He has the speed to get to the ball and make something happen. You expect him to make plays. Guys like Devin, we need them to step up.”

Meyer is talking about what Conwell can do for the Eagles on the field in 2003. He could also be discussing Conwell’s ability to play at another level.

“In the scheme of things, from what we’ve seen, he has the necessary talent to be a Mid-American Conference player,” explained the AU assistant coach. “But right now, he hasn’t reached his potential. He has to continue to get bigger and stronger and work on his agility.”

Conwell’s coming out party came against Edinboro in the second week of the 2003 season. The Fighting Scots enjoyed a 12-6 win over AU on the way to the NCAA Division II playoffs. Conwell made life miserable for them at Community Stadium as he piled up 15 tackles and picked off a pass.

“That was the game where I started to know where I was,” said Conwell. “But I think against Ferris State I was more physical and crisp with my assignments.”

The FSU game came on the final weekend of the season. Even though AU lost, 17-10, Conwell had another banner game with 12 tackles and five tackles for loss. Two weeks before that, at Findlay, he was in on 15 stops, registered four tackles behind the line of scrimmage and had a pair of sacks.

Those numbers point out a number of things. First, as the season went on, Conwell learned to read GLIAC offenses like a copy of My Weekly Reader. Also, he’s strong and in good enough shape that he didn’t allow an 11-game schedule to wear him down.

“To be a good linebacker you have to be able to read and react well,” said Conwell. “I think with me, it’s a natural thing, it’s a natural instinct. It comes from playing linebacker for seven years.”

The Eagles plan on having him at that spot for two more seasons. It will be no surprise to see him remain a rare bird – an Eagle who could rank among the most productive linebackers in school history.