Louisville LB Marvin Dallas Using Mental Adjustments to Improve Performance
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - When looking at the roster for the Louisville football program heading into the 2022 season, there are a plethora of playmakers all over the field. One of the more talented areas of the field is at linebacker, anchored by All-American candidate Yasir Abdullah and X-factors like Monty Montgomery and MoMo Sanogo.
But another player to watch for in the linebacking corps over the course of the upcoming season will be Marvin Dallas. A former JUCO product, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound outside linebacker has spent most of his limited reps over the past two seasons on special teams.
As the 2021 season went on, Dallas gradually started to earn more playing time on defense, and started to establish a reputation as hard-hitter. By season's end, he logged 21 total tackles, with 1.5 for loss and 0.5 sacks, along with an interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
That stat line might not jump off the page when compared to guys like Abdullah, but Dallas himself believes that he will have a much more productive 2022 campaign as he competes for a larger role on the defense, Mainly, this is because he is much more familiar and comfortable.
"The first time I got here, up until now, I feel like I got better towards the plays," he said earlier this week. "Knowing a little more than I did last year. I think that's what helped me this year a little bit, because last year I was a little lost."
Dallas admits that a large reason why he felt so "lost" over the past couple years with Louisville has been from a mental standpoint, and not so much of a performance or athleticism one. He says that due to his nature as someone who worries far too often, it impacted his overall production.
Over the course of the offseason, Dallas made a concerted effort to make adjustments in his overall mental approach, and is anticipating it making a large difference this year.
"I fixed that this year," he said. "I feel like I'm gonna be way better mentally this year. ... I try not to worry about too much. When I get too worrying about too much, I get inside my head, and everything just starts to spiral. So I try to control what I can control."
That being said, winning the starting job at CARD - which is a linebacker/safety hybrid position in Louisville's defensive scheme - won't come easy. Ben Perry, Louisville's top recruit in the Class of 2021, was recently listed as the starter at CARD heading into fall camp, and Jacksonville State transfer safety Nicario Harper could also see some time at the position.
"The competition is great right now," Dallas said. "It's not easy. You're not gonna easily get that spot. You're gonna have a little competition, it's gonna be hard. Like coach told me, he said, "everybody that's in front is not actually a starter. It's just for show." We are competing against each other, working to see who's gonna get that number one spot."
No matter what his exact role on the team will be, whether that's as a starter or a go-to backup, Dallas knows that he will be an impact player fo Louisville this season because of his natural abilities and schematic fit at the CARD position.
"My length, my speed and my athleticism," Dallas said when asked why he is such a fit at CARD. "I feel like it's a great position for me, because it's basically a free position where you can do what you need to do to be free."
Louisville is set to conduct their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. The Cardinals will begin the 2022 season when they travel to upstate New York to face Syracuse on Saturday, Sept. 3.
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