Winston and Shambley anchor Dukes’ D-line

By John Galle, senior writer

Last season’s Division I-AA championship run was made possible by a senior-studded defensive unit. This year, the defensive line underwent some changes with new starters and a new build.

Senior Demetrius Shambley and junior Kevin Winston are the biggest — and smallest — defensive linemen starting for the JMU football team. Their hard work and dedication has paid off, giving them bigger roles this year as they are changing the face of the Dukes’ defense.

“The play of our defensive line is the biggest change since last year’s team,” coach Mickey Matthews said. “We’ve never had this much size at defensive line as we do this year.”

Kevin Winston is the relative exception, weighing in at 230 pounds.

“I know we’re bigger and stronger [than last season],” Winston said. “I’m like the only one under 240.”

Matthews said, “[Winston] was a high school quarterback and he’s put on about 40 or 45 pounds since he’s arrived. He was a 180-pound skinny guy when he [first] showed up.”

Nevertheless, Winston embodies the saying that “it’s not always the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog,” as he leads the team with sacks averaging 4.5 per game through the first five. He also had 4.5 sacks last year as a non-starter, playing in just five games. At this rate, he will finish the season with 10 sacks.

Winston also has 23 tackles in his first five games — five for losses.

“[Winston] is a much more physical defensive player than he was last year,” Mathews said.

Shambley said, “He does really well at closing in on the quarterback when he starts to scramble and has a lot of his sacks now for that.”

Shambley, on the other hand, epitomizes JMU’s ability to stop the run with his size. 

“Here’s a guy, six foot four or five, who’s 300 pounds and runs a four-eight forty, I mean God did not make very many of those guys with that kind of ability,” Matthews said. “He needs to make enough plays that correspond with that kind of ability —  and he’s doing that now.”

Shambley has 18 tackles in the first five games — six of which were for a loss (a category he leads the team in).

However, the Norfolk native’s most memorable moment of this season thus far was at Bridgeforth Stadium against Maine, when he chased down quarterback Ron Whitcomb for his first sack of the season. 

“I got the sack on the quarterback and it should have been a fumble,” Shambley said. “It’s just exciting to be out here playing and hear the crowd screaming for you.”

In his fifth year at JMU and his last year of eligibility, Shambley has finally earned his chance to start.

“He’s a beast,” Winston said. “I mean, he’s strong, he’s fast [and] he’s just a good player.  This year he really stepped it up and he’s working hard.”

Another key factor in their success has come from staying healthy. Both Winston and Shambley have had their development hampered by injuries off and on during their college careers.

“Last year I was basically hurt the whole season,” Winston said. “At the beginning of the year, I started off really strong and then as I got hurt, I couldn’t practice that much. This year I’ve been practicing the whole year and getting better.”

As for Shambley, he knows his time is limited and is just looking to make an impact and do whatever he can to help his team in his final year as a Duke.

“It’s been a long, long road, you know,” Shambley said. “When I first got here, we were 2-9, but each year we’ve gotten better. I love the area and everybody here on the team is like a family.  Just getting older and knowing that I don’t have that much longer here in college [motivates me].”