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"The defense makes you good," Kirksey said. "The defensive line opens gaps for you, the defensive backs don't let anything past their heads, so as a defense, we all work together and certain plays will come to certain individuals." Kevin Worthy, Fred Barr and Steen passed their knowledge to Greenway and Hodge; Hunter helped Hitchens, Kirksey and Morris. Now it's time for the current senior linebackers to pass the torch — and knowledge — to the rest of the talented group. "I was pretty raw when I got here and those three took me under their wings and taught me everything about the defense and the Iowa way," Alston said. "It has been great sitting in the film room, bouncing ideas off them and seeing what they have to say. It has furthered my progression a lot faster than if they weren't here." "They are great, great, great young men," Reid said of Hitchens, Kirksey and Morris. "They are terrific. It's a hard-working group, and it's great to see all those guys come together to form a family. They are a focused group." When Reid talks about the Hawkeye linebackers, he emphasizes group. The seniors might be the bread, but the others are butter and jam. "You have to go into Quinton Alston, Marcus Collins, Cole Fisher, Laron Taylor, John Kenny," Reid said. "All of them are as strong a group as I have ever been around. I'm talking about in the weight room, their work ethic, on the field, their character. You can't ignore any of those phases." Like most defensives, the Hawkeye linebackers consistently reside at the top of the tackle chart. Last season, Hitchens was the team leader with 124 stops in 11 games, followed by Morris (113), and Kirksey (95). The three combined for 18 tackles for loss and 4 ½ sacks. 38 Hitchens arrived to the party a little later than Kirksey and Morris. He said his moves from safety-to-running back-to-linebacker forced him to "grow up quicker than the average college player." The move has paid off. His 11.27 tackles per game in 2012 were the sixth-best of any NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision player. "It has been a ride, but I'm thankful for where I am," Hitchens said. "We know each other's abilities and what plays we can and can't make. We're on the same page all the time, so it helps to play together for two, three years now." Being teammates off the field has aided in their progress and success. Morris says they are all close friends. Kirksey says the trio has fun and is "goofy at the same time." Hitchens feels chemistry. "We all have different characteristics and personalities," Kirksey said. "We're all kids trying to have fun and improve our football. We came in together with the same goal to play for the University of Iowa and win a championship. That made us come together as a group,