Off the Ball with Jessica Deegan
10/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 15, 2008
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - How Jessica Deegan goes, so goes the Crimson Tide. Not only is the senior midfielder head coach Todd Bramble's anchor in the center of the field, but she brings an unquestionable high-energy attitude to the squad as well. With Alabama off to a steady start, her competitive spirit seems to be rubbing off.
"I guess I'm just really competitive, and I think that always being competitive makes other people more competitive," Deegan said. "At practice, when somebody is trying hard, you try harder to beat them. I consider the team my best friends, and I really want to win and for our team to do really well this year."
As a natural-born leader, Deegan provides a spark for the Tide whenever her number is called. As a senior on the team, her style is noticeably effective among the younger players on the team. With an unmatched desire to compete and lead, Bramble says her leadership style is easy to see.
"She's definitely the emotional barometer in the locker room and on the field," Bramble said. "She's always bouncing around and there's no question about it that the players, especially the younger players, feed off that. She's got that charismatic quality to her personality that people want to follow her and want to be around her."
Her efforts to get the most out of her teammates do not end on the practice field either. Whether it is setting someone up for a goal or offering a bit of encouragement when things are not going well, Deegan wants nothing more than to be valuable to her team once the whistle blows.
"I think that the coaches have stressed how important it is to be positive and to be really supportive of each other," Deegan said. "I know it's nice to hear something from somebody else, so especially if it's getting toward the end of the game, I just try to be as positive and energetic as I can to help out."
With the addition of Bramble and his staff, Deegan finds herself in a more comfortable role on the team. Although playing in the center of the field can be accompanied by a lot of action on both ends of the field, she credits the coaches for making sure each player realizes their individual role.
"It takes a lot of focus having it really clear about what he wants each position on the field doing," Deegan said. "He's made it really clear about the type of patters he wants us to play. It takes a lot of concentration to play in that spot and to make sure your supporting pretty much everyone and being an outlet for them."
Already bettering her previous career total with four goals this season, Deegan has seen her offensive production increase dramatically. According to Bramble, the increase comes at the hands of Deegan's patience in getting into the attack.
"We need her to be our holding midfielder to sort of balance our team out with the understanding that there will be a few opportunities in the game for her to get into the attack," Bramble said. "She's got to be patient, she can't always go looking for that every time we get the ball up the field, and that goes against her natural instincts.
"But she's done a great job of it and as a result, when she does go forward and get chances, they are quality chances and she's making the most of them. We're happy that she's grasped that understanding of what we are asking of her."
Her 11 points on the year is also a career-high as she has also handed out three assists. Her previous best season was her first at the Capstone when she tallied eight points on two goals and four assists. The two goals were her previous best in the scoring category as well.
Along with the memories of giving her heart and soul to the Alabama program, her senior season will be one that she can be proud of. Against Chattanooga on Sept. 19, the Centreville, Va. native recorded six points on two goals and two assists. With the season running into the twilight of October, Deegan and the rest of the Crimson Tide look to make 2008 a special ending.
