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This Drummer is No Bummer By Darren Miller The steady, consistent drum beat known as University of Iowa football skipped a cadence last season, but one of the team's senior linebackers predicts a return to the days of increased tempo. Hawkeye football fans know Christian Kirksey as a big-play defender who compiled 95 tackles last season and returned interceptions for touchdowns against Minnesota (68 yards) and Indiana (18). He also recovered four fumbles. While the team's rhythm was muted at times a year ago, Kirksey — one of three UI senior linebackers named to the Butkus Award Watch List — knows a thing or two about pounding drums as well as opposing football players. "I have been playing the drums since I was 7-yearsold. I'm into music," Kirksey said. "Whether it's writing music, trying to rap, trying to sing, I enjoy listening to music on my down time. My brother sings and he tells me if football doesn't work out I can always become his drummer." Drummers Tony Royster, Jr., and Aaron Spears can rest easy. Music is Kirksey's hobby, football is his passion, and returning the Hawkeyes to national supremacy is his mission. "We knew we were better than our (4-8) record showed," Kirksey said. "If you could look at all the games we lost, we just didn't finish. A lot of people might say Iowa isn't Iowa anymore and that fuels us." Iowa lost in 2012 by one point to Central Michigan, three points to Iowa State, Indiana and Purdue, and six points to Nebraska. An extra touchdown on five Saturday's and the Hawkeyes are 9-3 and bowling for a fifth consecutive season. When the 2013 season opens Aug. 31 against Northern Illinois, Iowa has an opportunity to show what it is really made of. An area of strength is linebacker, where Kirksey is joined by fellow threetime letterwinners James Morris in the middle and Anthony Hitchens on the weak side. Last season that trio combined for 332 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 4 ½ sacks. "Our outside linebacker position tends to be a little bit invisible statistic-wise," UI head coach Kirk Ferentz said. "They won't make as many tackles as the other two guys, but we can't be a good defense if we don't have someone out there who we can trust to do their job. It's an important position in our defense; Chris has embraced that role and done a great job." The trio of linebackers, who arrived on campus in 2010 and played immediately, are close friends on and off the field. "They're great players and we went through the same transition together," Kirksey said. "It feels great to play with teammates you came in with, especially since we went through the same trials and tribulations while working our way up the depth chart." Kirksey came to Iowa City from St. Louis, where he starred at Hazelwood East High School. He made his first tackle in the 2010 season-opener against Eastern Illinois and added stops against Ball State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio State. As a sophomore he made 110 tackles, followed by 95 as a junior. Just as Kirksey learned from Hawkeyes Jeff Tarpian and Jeremiha Hunter, he now finds himself as one of the veterans in linebacker meetings. 49