Oilers Have Experience At Linebacker

The Oilers have the luxury of returning four players who have started games during their careers at the linebacker position. Juniors Brandon Butler, Nate Etler and Mark Nelson return along with sophomore Kenny Klatt to form the core of Findlay's second wave of defense.

Butler returns after starting all 11 games last season and finished second on the team with 83 total tackles. He has started 17 out of the 20 games he has played in, totaling 117 tackles during his career.

Etler is back after seeing action in all 11 games last year. In 2010, Etler started three games and finished the year with 34 tackles and an interception.

Nelson returns after making 23 stops in ten games while Klatt returns after being named honorable mention all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) during his inaugural season with the Oilers when he registered a team-high 114 stops. His 10.4 tackles per game ranked 14th in the nation as he started nine out of 11 games.

Sophomore Trevor Smith and red-shirt freshmen Damon Contat, Dustin Little and Torrence Garland will also be looking to make an impact at the position as well.

"We have a lot of experience at the linebacker position," said co-defensive coordinator Thomas Howard. "We also have some guys that have been in the program and are ready to make an impact this season."