The sky's the limit for Dreiling

Pittsburg State junior linebacker Nate Dreiling found a way to improve from his freshman year to his sophomore year.

Granted, not many freshmen players lead a team in tackles their freshman year, let alone all Division II. Dreiling made 160 tackles (73 solo) his first year on the field, including 20.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 quarterback sacks. Before his sophomore year, he talked about being more of a team player, taking on more blocks and playing stronger pass defense.

"You can always get better," Dreiling said on Monday at MIAA Media Day. "There's something that coaches get instilled in all their players' minds and just working on the little things. Those are the most important."

Dreiling came through with a season which eviscerated any notions of a sophomore slump — 139 tackles (51 solo), 17.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, seven interceptions and six breakups.

The Don Hansen Football Committee recognized Dreiling as its NCAA Division II National Defensive Player of the Year and the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Daktronics and the Don Hansen Football Committee all made Dreiling an All-American selection. Dreiling won MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. On top of everything, Pitt State won its first national title since 1991.

Dreiling saved his two best games of the 2011 season for the biggest stage, recording 18 tackles against Delta State in the National Semifinal Game and 15 tackles against Wayne State (Mich.) in the National Championship Game.
His 18 stops against Delta State tied a career high and helped Pitt State make its first title game appearance since 2004.

On the ultimate big stage for Division II football, he not only made 15 tackles, he blocked a punt during a game where special teams plays made easily the biggest impact on the game from an opening kickoff return for touchdown by Josh Renel of Wayne State to the first blocked field goal return for touchdown in the history of the Div. II title game by Pitt State's Aries Herrion.

Dreiling returns for his fourth year in the Gorillas program, since he redshirted his freshman year in 2009.

“Nate Dreiling has a chance to break the school tackles record before he graduates and as a linebreaker he could pass the school interceptions record too,” Pitt State head coach Tim Beck said in a program release. “That’s fairly impressive. Nate already has two years experience as an All-America player. The best compliment I can pay Nate is that he’s a great football player. He understands the game as well as anyone we’ve ever had.”

Over his 26-game career, Dreiling has accumulated 299 tackles (124 solo), averaging 11.5 stops per game.

During his first collegiate game against Central Oklahoma, Dreiling made nine tackles. Since then, he’s been in double-digit tackles 18 games, including 11 straight to close out the 2010 season. Dreiling, a two-year team captain, has started all 26 games.

Dreiling ranks No. 8 on the career tackles chart — those ahead on the list include No. 6 Troy Wilson (317), No. 3 John Roderique (365), No. 2 Josh Lattimer (394) and No. 1 Chris Brown (470).

Coach on the field and student of the game have been phrases often used to describe No. 11 and definitely the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree in the Dreiling household.

His father, Randy Dreiling, took over head coach of the Hutchinson Salthawks in 1997 and guided Hutchinson to six consecutive state titles from 2004-2009. The elder Dreiling helped turn Hutchinson into one of the premier football programs in the state.

“I tagged along wherever he went for the last 20 years or so trying to pick up any piece of knowledge that I can,” Dreiling said. “Any little detail you can pick up or any piece of information always comes in handy.”

Playing for his father, Dreiling was a two-time Kansas Top 11 selection, a three-year starter, a member of four consecutive state title teams and earned a selection to the 2009 Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Hutchinson won a state title in Class 5A last season, less than a month before Pitt State won its national title. Hutchinson’s latest star running back signed with Pitt State.

“JaMon Cotton, he's the MVP of the Shrine Bowl last week,” Dreiling said. “He came down to live with me a couple weeks this summer and worked out with us. He should be a nice addition to the team.”

The work ethic adopted by Pitt State between its 2010 and 2011 seasons no doubt played a major factor in the Gorillas’ improvement from 6-6 to 13-1. Dreiling helps set a tone with his example.

“Our team feeds off each other, which is a must for good teams,” Dreiling said. “If we see somebody working hard, we want to try to outdo them. Once that attitude starts, the sky's the limit.”

Dreiling sees no difference in gameday preparation this year and does not buy into the Gorillas being hunted by their opponents having any impact.

“It's a little different mindset, I'd say from an outsider's standpoint going into the season but it's all the same for us,” Dreiling said. “The only focus we have right now is going 1-0. Just a little more pressure but pressure's all mental anyway and hopefully we'll able to handle that.”

One play at a time, one game at a time worked last year. That said, Pitt State players and coaches want to leave last year behind and focus on this year.
“We understand that what we accomplished last year has no effect on this coming season,” Dreiling said. “So all we're working for now is trying to get better everyday and just try and go 1-0. That's our only goal.”