Jeff Waldron

Patrick Laverty

Jeff Waldron’s pregame routine doesn’t exactly conjure up images of

loud music, head butting and locker pounding that are commonly

associated with getting ready to play football.

Waldron, a junior at Costa Mesa High, does spend his time on game

days with his teammates in the Mustangs locker room, but most of that

time is spent in thought as the wide receiver and outside linebacker

goes over the game in his head.

“They don’t really think of me as a mean player,” Waldron said.

That is, unless you’re an opposing quarterback.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Waldron has become a standout on both

sides of the ball for Costa Mesa.

A week after scoring his first career touchdown against Ocean

View, he took the ball into the end zone twice against Santiago.

On defense, his impact was just as strong, as the Daily Pilot

Player of the Week recorded an interception, a forced fumble and two

sacks.

He may not have the same reputation as Mean Joe Greene, but the

results are all that matter.

Through six games, Waldron, who began the year as a tight end

before being split wide as a receiver, has caught 19 passes for 272

yards and three touchdowns. He is tied with Jorge Quiroz for the team

lead in receptions and leads the Mustangs in touchdown receptions. On

defense, Waldron has intercepted three passes, blocked a punt, forced

a pair of fumbles, recovered a fumble and compiled 7 1/2 sacks.

“Jeff has a knack for finding the football,” Mustangs Coach Dave

Perkins said. “Part of that comes from being a receiver.”

Waldron has used his offensive knowledge to his advantage in Costa

Mesa’s defensive alignment, where the outside linebackers often find

themselves lined up against a receiver like a cornerback would. His

strength is his ability to read the quarterback and jump into the

passing lanes.

But while the interceptions are nice, it’s the sacks that have to

put the most fear into opposing quarterbacks and most contradict his

relaxed image on and off the field.

“My eyes get big and wide,” Waldron said. “I just want to hit him

as hard as I can.”

The relative calm of Waldron’s approach to football likely comes

from going up in a household of 12 children. Waldron has six brothers

and five sisters.

All of them have been involved in athletics, Waldron said, but his

older brother Tyler, who graduated from Costa Mesa last year, was the

first to stick with football for four years in high school.

Waldron, who started at tight end as a sophomore last season,

benefited from Tyler’s place on the team as a senior last season.

Next year, Waldron will likely play the role of older brother when

Cody, a freshman quarterback, joins him on the varsity team.

If there’s one thing Waldron will be able to teach his younger

brother it is the advantages of a good wide receiver-quarterback

relationship.

Waldron’s own relationship with Costa Mesa quarterback Bruce

Wilkinson, who transferred to the school prior to this season, has

grown as the season has progressed, leading to a season-high six

catches for Waldron two weeks ago against Ocean View.

“At first, we didn’t talk that much because he’s one the newer

players on the team,” Waldron said. “The past six weeks, we’ve become

good friends.”

Now Waldron, a standout rebounder on the Costa Mesa basketball

team, comes back to the huddle and tells Wilkinson to throw it up

there and he’ll pull it down.

Wilkinson often obliges on the very next passing play. His

contributions as both a receiver and a linebacker have helped the

Mustangs to a 4-2 record this season.

After one touchdown two weeks ago and two touchdowns last week,

Waldron will attempt to go for three in Costa Mesa’s biggest game of

the season, tonight against Orange. ut he won’t commit to a

preference on either side of the ball. In fact, his answer to the

question feels relaxed, just like his playing style.

“It feels good just to be out there and have an effect on both

sides of the ball,” Waldron said.