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Gould-and-Wright
Don Adams Jr.
Brandon Gould (4) and Logen Wright (9) have been the leaders on the Lindenwood defense this year.

Football

Heart of the Defense

One broke his leg. The other decided to give big-time football a try. Either way, for Lindenwood football players Logen Wright and Brandon Gould, the road to Rome included a detour. And for them, it's all just a part of the journey. 

Wright and Gould are the senior leaders on a defense that has its team one win away from the school's first ever national championship, and both are willing to admit that they are fortunate to be in this situation. 

“It was a blessing in disguise to break my leg,” claims Wright, a starting middle linebacker and team captain. “Coach Ross kept saying, 'Don't worry, we're going to get a team beside you that can win a national championship because you are going to take this redshirt.' And I kept thinking to myself, alright, whatever coach.” 

Gould left for a year and walked on at the University of Nebraska, but the stay was short and he found himself back at Lindenwood the following year. 

“It didn't take long after the game (Carroll) for me to think about it,” says Gould, a starting safety and team captain also. “To leave and have my teammates and Coach Ross welcome me back with open arms and to now play for a national championship, everything happens for a reason.” 

Last year, Lindenwood was on the doorstep waiting to crash the annual party that is usually reserved for Sioux Falls and Carroll in the title game. After just missing out, this team has used that as motivation all season. 

“That was pretty much our mindset for the last 365 days, to get to that point, and as a whole, I think we wanted to go back to Montana and prove a point and to be the best, you have to beat the best,” asserts Gould, who leads the team in interceptions. 

Logen Wright
Wright is second on the team in tackles with 67 and Gould is fifth with 59. Wright has been named a four-time team captain and Gould a two-time captain. Both are aggressive and play with purpose, something they feel is representative of the Lions defense. 

Wright, a three-time first-team all-conference selection, is quick to point out how “hungry” the defensive unit is. “I think our defense plays with a lot of passion. I think it's scary how many players on our defense have the ability to make a big play. I think it can be a scary group.” 

Gould, a fiery and emotional player on the field, believes no one gives the defense enough credit. “People always say we are a bend, don't break defense, but I don't see it that way, I think we are a defense that makes things happen, creates turnovers, creates pressure.” 

The Lions defense does have a knack for the big play. The team ranks sixth in the nation in turnover margin and are +18 in that category. In four playoffs games, the Lions have 12 takeaways. Wright and Gould have played a big part in that. 

In the opening round contest against Langston (Okla.), Wright blocked a field goal and a point-after-touchdown attempt. In addition, he snagged an interception and returned it for a score after defensive end Alvin Davie tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage. For his effort, the New Hampton, Mo. native earned Defensive Player of the Game honors. 

Against Ottawa (Kan.) and the best passing attack in the country, Gould had two interceptions, part of six turnovers the defense forced in a 64-24 quarterfinal win. The Lake of the Ozark native was tabbed Defensive Player of the Game against Carroll after recording a team-high eight tackles. 

Defensive coordinator Shawn Nagel is not surprised by their performances over the last three games. “This postseason has meant a lot to both of them. They both have a lot of experience and been there and done that.” 

That experience was never more evident in the fourth quarter in last weekend's 42-35 semifinal win over Carroll. After a turnover by the offense put Carroll at the Lindenwood 30 yard line with the game tied at 35, the defense forced a turnover-on-downs. Twice in the final quarter, the Lions forced the Saints to three and out with the game tied and that came as no surprise to either. 
Lindenwood-Football-Brandon-Gould


“I don't think anybody was relying on somebody to make a big play, everyone just believed. I really had no doubt to be honest and when it happened I wasn't surprised we made the stops,” remarked Wright. 

For the two seniors and their teammates, the win over Carroll puts into focus what the coaching staff has been preaching all along. 

“To see what it has come to now and all the times the coaches told us, 'we are doing this for a reason, we are going to win a national title. We are going to get there, we are going to get there.' Really it's surreal to have it come to fruition,” says Wright. 

Adds Gould, a second-team all-conference selection, “It's a huge stepping stone for our program and for us as seniors to lead us there, it's exciting.” 

Already considered the underdog against No. 1 Sioux Falls, the defense sees it as another opportunity to silence its critics. As Wright put it, “We have to keep saying this a lot, but we keep winning games and now we are playing for a national championship.” 

So far, the season has been a “dream come true” for both players, and when Sioux Falls and Lindenwood meet on December 19th, everything will have come full circle for Wright and Gould in their final game as Lions.
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