Vest 'adjusts' to new role

Jonathan Vest claims he was not troubled when Citadel coaches told him the name of his new position — "adjuster."

But when people ask him what position he plays, Vest usually takes the easy way out.

"I just tell people that I play outside linebacker," said the senior from Corpus Christi, Texas. "Because when I say 'adjuster', they say, 'You must be on the bench.'

"I have to explain that 'adjuster' is a position on our team. But that doesn't bother me. It's just a name."

It's a name that conjures up images of insurance agents or mild-mannered accountants, not a hard-hitting football fanatic whose helmet-rattling hit on Texas A&M quarterback Stephen McGee in 2006 was a YouTube favorite.

At 5-9 and 185 pounds, Vest is pound-for-pound one of the hardest hitters on the Bulldogs' defense and a major reason defensive coordinator Isaac Collins is betting on a new 3-4 scheme this season.

Quarterback Bart Blanchard is grateful he's worn a red jersey during fall practice and avoided the wrath of the "adjuster."

"That's one thing about Vest," Blanchard said. "He's not the biggest, the fastest or the strongest. But he gets the job done. He knows how to hit. He goes all out and full speed, and that makes a big difference."

Vest and sophomore Mel Capers are key figures in the Bulldogs' new 3-4 defense, both playing a hybrid position of outside linebacker/safety.

Capers is the "Bulldog" in the alignment, while Vest is the "Adjuster." Capers got the cooler position name, but it's Vest's responsibility to adjust to the offensive formation and make sure his teammates are lined up properly.

Thus, the "adjuster."

"In our scheme, the 'adjuster' is the guy who has to adjust to different formations and different personnel groupings," coach Kevin Higgins said. "He's also the guy who calls the defense and sets the formation for the other 10 players."

Vest said the 3-4 defense, which essentially deploys three linemen, two linebackers and six defensive backs, will help the Bulldogs cope better with high-scoring spread offenses in the Southern Conference — not to mention Clemson and Florida.

"I think it will help us," he said. "Teams can't game plan on us as much, because we had a different defense last year. We'll still be able to run the old (4-3) defense if we need to, but we have a lot more speed on the field now. That will be helpful because of the defenses we have in our league."

Vest had some adjusting to do last year, when he was forced to sit out a season after testing positive for a substance banned by the NCAA. He's eager to improve on the form he showed as a sophomore in 2006, when he started 11 games and made 69 tackles, including that takedown of McGee that brought "Ooohs" from a large crowd at Texas A&M's Kyle Field.

Vest's leadership on the scout team last season helped him fulfill a prediction Higgins had made when Vest was just a freshman.

"I told people, this guy will be a team captain his senior year," Higgins said. "And sure enough, he was voted that."

--The Citadel Bulldog Monument, a 10-foot tall replica of the bulldog mascot "Boo," will be unveiled Friday at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The statue is located at the corner of Hagood Avenue and Congress Street, and "will be positioned to guard the Corps of Cadets as it gazes protectively toward The Citadel campus," according to the school. The monument was donated by the Class of 1968.

Reach Jeff Hartsell at jhartsell@postandcourier.com, and check out the new Citadel blog at charleston.net/blogs/bulldog_bites/