SLIPPERY ROCK — He's not as strong, not as fast, not as quick as his older brother.

“He's probably rolling his eyes, shaking his head while I'm saying that,” Slippery Rock University football coach Shawn Lutz said during a postgame press conference.

He was. Tim Vernick has heard it all before.

But the Butler graduate and sophomore Rock middle linebacker is more than holding his own as the quarterback of SRU's defense.

Vernick's older brother, Bob, was a three-year starting linebacker at SRU and an all-conference player.

“I didn't come here because of Bob,” Vernick said of Slippery Rock. “I had other college visits scheduled. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go.

“Once I visited Slippery Rock first. I canceled my other visits. This is where I wanted to be.”

Vernick received his first PSAC West Defensive Player of the Week award following his performance last Saturday in The Rock's 28-13 win at Clarion. He compiled 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a quarterback sack and forced a fumble.

Eight games into the season, Vernick stands second on SRU's defense with 46 tackles, trailing only Brad Zaffram's 51. He stands 6 feet tall and weighs 215 pounds.

Vernick is not an imposing figure on the football field.

“People have come up to me and said they can't believe he plays for us,” Lutz said. “But Tim Vernick is relentless. He never quits working.

“Nobody can beat him out. I can't get him off the field.”

Vernick began last season as The Rock's starting middle linebacker. But as the year wore on and SRU was among the worst in the nation in run defense, Vernick eventually lost his starting position.

From that moment, he was determined to get it back.

“It's all I thought about,” he said. “All during the off-season, I reported to the trainers and worked out. I put on a lot more weight.”

Vernick gained 15 pounds in muscle mass.

“He even came up here on holidays ... never missed a day,” Lutz said. “That kid was hungry.”

SRU allowed 208 yards per game on the ground last season. So far this year, it's allowing 104 rushing yards per game.

The new and improved Vernick has had a lot to do with the improvement.

“We played a lot of freshmen on defense last year and I was one of them,” Vernick said. “Another year of maturity and getting physically stronger has made a difference.”

SRU defensive coordinator Dom Razzano described Vernick as “just a tough player, mentally and physically.

“He's got the knowledge, guts and determination to be our middle linebacker. There's no one better for that job than him,” Razzano added.

When coaches determined he was too slow in preseason, Vernick shed a few pounds to get quicker.

“Working out is part of it and I'm willing to do whatever it takes,” he said.

Besides his tackle production — he also has seven tackles for loss — Vernick calls out the defense at the line of scrimmage.

“He's an extremely intelligent football player,” Lutz said. “Tim makes sure everyone is lined up properly to defend the anticipated play.

“What he does requires a lot of recognition and film work.”

Vernick is majoring in computer science and carries a 3.5 grade point average.

He described calling out the defense as “part of the job.”

In terms of his Rock football future, Vernick has lofty goals in mind.

“I want to lead the team in tackles, make all-conference, become an All-American ... just shoot for it all,” he said.

But those are individual goals. His team goals come first.

And that's a simple one.

“Win every game we play and win a championship,” Vernick said.

Lutz won't discount any of those goals.

“Tim Vernick is a football nut. That's the best way to describe him,” the coach said. “And he's got football smarts. He knows how to read things.

“I won't put anything past this kid. He studies film, works out in the weight room, loves everything about the game.

Vernick has already earned some scholarship money at SRU.

“After this season, he'll earn a lot more,” Lutz said.