Better Know A Dude: #97 Defensive Tackle Truman Gutapfel

Name: Truman Gutapfel

Position: Defensive Tackle

Number: #97

Year: Junior

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 281 lbs.

Hometown: Harrison, OH

High School: Harrison

2013 Stats: Appeared in 10 games from September 28 to December 31, making his collegiate debut against Florida State. Recorded 4 tackles (1 solo) and 0.5 TFLs. Finished the year listed as the backup left tackle following Abdesmad's season-ending injury due to FSU's Nick O'Leary's jackassery.

2014 Stats: Don Brown refers to him as War Daddy, and boy did he explode in 2014. He started in 9 games for the Eagles opposite Connor Wujciak making 26 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss. He recovered one fumble against Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl, and blocked a kick against Virginia Tech. He had one sack against Clemson.

2015 Projection: War Daddy is ready to break out this season, especially surrounded by a bevy of defensive talent that should only help him improve his game. He, along with Connor Wujciak, should make rushing a futile experiment for opposing offenses, and as we saw last year, Gutapfel (a former wrestler) has the power to get past blocks to make big plays. If he continues to improve, he is going to be a nasty defensive tackle this year.

How'd He Get Here: A two-star recruit out of Harrison HS in Ohio, Boston College was Gutapfel's only claimed offer. Recruited by Sean Devine.

Twitter Feed: You can follow Truman on Twitter @The_Trudaddy.

Tweetable: Lessons learned from the Pinstripe Bowl:

Love every single one of my seniors. Heartbreaking loss, but the lessons they taught us about perseverance will last a lifetime

— Truman Gutapfel (@The_Trudaddy) December 28, 2014

Uniform History: John Bosa, a dominant defensive player and pass-rusher from Keene, NH, was a four-year letterwinner for the Eagles. Bosa served as co-captain of the Eagles' 1986 team that finished with a 9-3 record under Jack Bicknell. He would go on to get drafted in the first round (16th overall) by the Miami Dolphins, though injuries prematurely ended his professional career after just three seasons and 31 games played. I think one of his sons plays college football right now, not sure though.

Linkage:

Get To Know The Dudes 2014: #97 DT Truman Gutapfel (BC Interruption)

Boston College Football Recruiting: Eagles Receive Commitment From DE Truman Gutapfel (BC Interruption)

Boston College Football Recruiting: DT Truman Gutapfel Commits To The Eagles (BC Interruption)

Boston College Football 2014: Truman Gutapfel, DT (Soaring To Glory)

Highlights:

Blocked field goal against Virginia Tech (ESPN, click link, we couldn't embed their video)

Here are some highlights of Gutapfel at Harrison: