Cato June Profile Week 8

It's tough to grab headlines on a team with highly paid stars named Manning, Harrison, Wayne and Vinatieri. After all, the can put 35 to 40 points on the board in any given week.But if it weren't for starting outside linebacker Cato June, it's likely the would not have a perfect win-loss record this season.On Sunday, against the Redskins, June was a tackling machine, leading the team with 10 takedowns and five assists. He played a big part in keeping Clinton Portis in check and out of the end zone (Portis gained a pedestrian 43 yards on Steelers 36 Bettis Jersey
the ground). And a few of his stops were on key third-down plays.Though it certainly wouldn't surprise his teammates or coaches, June now leads the NFL in solo tackles with 46. He tops a list that includes Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs of Chicago, Ray Lewis of Baltimore and Zach Thomas of Miami. So, he's in pretty good company.And he has been taking his game higher each year since being drafted out of Michigan in 2003. Barring injury, the linebacker from Riverside, Calif. figures to string together his third consecutive 100-plus tackle season in 2006 (solo and assisted combined). He registered 110 in 2004 with the Colts and 102 in 2005. At his current pace, June would finish the year with a whopping 162 tackles.June is probably best known outside the team for his five interceptions last year, returning two for touchdowns. Along with the Cincinnati Bengals' Odell Thurman, he led the league in interceptions among linebackers.Obviously, some will say June's number of tackling chances has increased this year due to injuries throughout the Colts' defensive unit. Corey Simon hasn't played a snap, Dwight Freeney has been hampered by injury, Bob Sanders hasn't seen the field in three or four weeks and the tackles have experienced an off-year stopping the run as a whole.On the flip side, June doesn't play in the middle, where, logically, most tackling opportunities come from, but rather on the outside.Challenges continue to mount for the team, which was without Steelers 10 Santonio Holmes jersey
defensive tackle Montae Reagor last Sunday (car accident) and lost safety Mike Doss (knee) for the remainder of the year. But Sunday's solid effort against one of the league's more effective rushing teams, combined with the fact that Sanders and Reagor are returning to the field soon, has to give the Colts hope for a better second half of the season defensively. No doubt Cato June is looking forward to some help.Get your fix of commentary