By Patrick MacCoonRecord Sports EditorHard-hitting instincts have brought forth a great deal of success for Austin Black, who will head into his redshirt-junior season this fall for Southeast Missouri with 11 1/2 career tackles for loss and 4 1/2 sacks as a defensive lineman.“I’ve always had a feel for defense and I liked hitting people,” said Black, who was a standout running back and linebacker for Warrenton. “Being able to hit somebody and stop them in their tracks is a great feeling. It’s always more fun to make the hit than to be the one getting hit.”This summer, Black has put on 20 pounds amidst preparation for his second year playing in a 3-4 defensive scheme under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.While starting in a 4-3 throughout high school and his first year with the Redhawks, in which he finished with 52 tackles of his 70 career tackles, he feels much more comfortable now with where he is at heading into the 2015 season. Largely in part due to his work in the weight room.“Switching to a new defense was a big adjustment for me because in the 4-3 I could get away with being a little smaller and using my speed,” the 5-foot-11, 255-pound starting defensive end said. “Putting on weight has helped a lot for me to be successful with only three linemen up front. You want to be as strong as possible when you go up against 300-pound linemen. Double-teams are easier to work against when you weigh almost 260 pounds instead of 225, which I came into college at.”Instead of sacrificing speed for strength, Black has maintained a quick step to help him once again enter the season as one of the RedHawks’ top pass rushers. Over the past two seasons, his six quarterback hurries were a team-high.“Our new football trainer has focused on not letting us lose our speed and quickness while adding new elements to our game,” he said. “I expect to break through the line a lot more this season with the extra strength I’ve put on.”After a 5-7 finish last year, Southeast Missouri’s expectations are much higher for season No. 2 under Matukewicz. Last season three of the Redhawks’ losses were decided by less than a touchdown, including a six-point loss to Kansas.Black returns along with many other impact players on defense, which totaled 15 sacks and 15 interceptions last season. With a better understanding of the 3-4, the defensive unit hopes to be one of the best in the Ohio Valley Conference.“My personal goal is to get out on the field and have another year like I did my first year,” said Black, who was a finalist for the top first-year player in the Football Championship Subdivision in 2013 as a redshirt-freshman. “I want to get as many hurries and tackles for loss as I can. For our team, we are trying to chase the playoffs. Our defense has moved up quite considerably and we want to be a top three defense in the conference.”For the season opener, Southeast Missouri will clash with an opponent Black knows very well.The Redhawks will open the 2015 campaign in Columbia against the two-time reigning SEC champion Missouri Tigers on Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.“It’s going to be a fun game,” he said. “I always wanted to play for Mizzou when I was in high school. I talked to them my sophomore and junior year and went to camps there. SEMO has been a good place for me though. We will have a good time with this game.”While a quarterback sack of Maty Mauck for Black would generate a lasting memory, he still doesn’t want to put too much emphasis on this game more than any other.“We go into our games the same way every time, no matter who our opponent is,” he said. “We’ve played Ole Miss and Kansas, so we are used to playing some of the big dogs. It’s always fun to play in front of a big crowd because it gets your nerves going.”With 16 career starts under his belt for the Redhawks and counting, Black is very grateful and excited to line up once again and make big plays in the backfield at the FCS level.“It’s really a great experience to play after high school,” he said. “To go to a Division I school in Missouri was always a dream of mine. I am thankful for the success I’ve had. This year I just want to help my team out anywhere on the defensive side of the ball. We are all excited. The coaches and players are dedicated and ready to play.”

 Austin Black returns as one of the top defensive lineman for Southeast Missouri this season and looks to build to his 12 career tackles for loss total. The former Warrenton standout has earned the respect of many while making an impact for the Division-I Redhawks.

SEMO Athletics photo.