Manalapan’s DiBella named
co-captain of Hawks team
Junior linebacker led the team in tackles
Mike DiBella knows only one way to play football, flat out.
"I try to play above and beyond and be a leader," he said.
That way of expressing himself on the football field helped him become a co-captain at Manalapan High School where, as a two-way starter, he helped lead the Braves to a Shore Conference A North Division title and a trip to the Central Jersey Group IV state playoffs.
In his two years at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, DiBella has brought that same all-out energy to the Hawks as the middle linebacker on defense.
He is having the same impact on the Hawks that he did with the Braves, as proven by his teammates.
When the Hawks voted as a team for the co-captains of the 2001 season, DiBella was selected although he was only a junior.
"I’m excited to be a leader of the team," said DiBella, who led the Hawks in tackles last year. "The team voted on it, and that makes it special. I think I lead by my actions, but I do have a lot to say."
The Hawks will listen, like the Braves did, because actions do speak louder than words. No one who has ever played with him can ever question his efforts.
Monmouth University had the top-ranked defense in the country in Division I-AA last fall, and DiBella was all over the field, leading the team in tackles. He had 95 total stops, including 59 solo tackles.
DiBella, who started in his freshman year right out of high school, pointed out that there was a big adjustment to make from high school to Division I-AA college football.
"It’s a whole other level, totally different," noted DiBella. "Speed kills, and the athletes at this level are so much faster and bigger.
"I’ve worked on my speed in physical training," he added, "but it’s more than just physical. You have to think faster out there on the field as well."
As a search-and-destroy linebacker whose job is to bring running backs to a halt, DiBella’s combination of physical presence and nose for the football are his greatest assets.
But he has one thing going for him that helped him make the adjustment from high school to Division I-AA college football.
"Pride," DiBella remarked. "I always want to be the best."
Looking back at his outstanding high school career, DiBella noted that a change in position his senior year may have been his best preparation for college ball.
During his senior year, he moved to the defensive line, where he played end. From Pop Warner through high school, the only position he had played on defense was linebacker.
"I had to deal with bigger guys on every play [as end], and that got me to play tougher," he explained.
That toughness would come in handy in more ways than one.
"The college season is long, and it beats your body," he said. "Even though you play two ways in high school, college is twice as tough on your body."
As the middle linebacker on the Hawks’ 4-3 defense, DiBella serves as the defensive quarterback. He takes the defensive signals from the defensive coordinator and calls the defense for each play. He likes being in the decision process as much as he does making tackles.
The Hawks open camp for the 2001 season on Aug. 18, and DiBella, for one, can’t wait to get started.
He’s looking forward to his new role as a team leader and to putting on the pads to start hitting again.
The Hawks were 6-5 in 2000, and DiBella is optimistic about Monmouth’s chances to challenge for, if not win, the Northeast Conference title.
The Hawks open their season in West Long Branch on Sept. 8 against NEC rival Wagner College, Staten Island, N.Y.