Dakotah Teague is offense, defense and on the fence almost every week.

Rudder's inside linebacker started playing fullback this season, often blowing up his defensive counterparts with lead blocks. Still, neither of those physically demanding positions is more difficult than his weekend hobby of bull riding.

"He loves the game, loves to play," Rudder head coach C.M. Pier said. "He's turned into a pretty good linebacker as far as his instincts. He does things well. He's a tough kid, which he has got to be to play inside like he does. He's a real joy to be around and have on the team. He comes to work every day ready to play."

Teague is somewhat of a contradiction at inside linebacker. At 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, the junior is not as big as many other linebackers in the district. Many of those guys, however, don't run hurdles or pole vault in the offseason, which Teague does for the Rudder track team.

On offense, Teague is learning as he goes but still lacks the size of a prototypical blocking back. His speed is what makes him effective on both sides of the ball, according to Pier.

"There's not much body there, but there's a lot of heart," Pier said. "We try to not to ask him to do something he can't do. He's gotten pretty good at playing the power football teams, as far as getting downhill and filling his responsibility. He's good at [blitzing], and some of the things we ask our inside backers on the corner to do. It requires some speed, and he gets there and is able to fulfill his duties there."

Teague had his share of injuries last season, which cut into his playing time. In 2009, he has been mostly injury free save for a bruised rib earlier this season.

In fact, Pier said much of the time, Teague's injuries happen in the rodeo arena and not on the football field.

"He had some injuries last year that kept him out several ball games," Pier said. "He's been a lot healthier this year. He's a rodeo guy. He goes on the weekend, and he rides the bulls. He loves it. He's been hurt more in rodeo than he has in football. If that's what he wants to do, he knows the perils and the dangers of it. He's got some interesting things about him."

Part of the reason Teague may be holding up better this season is another year in Pier's offseason weight program. Teague and the entire team have bought into how important the lifting side of football can be to win late in the season.

"That's the main staple of our program," Piers said. "We're going to lift weights. We're going to pop iron. You have to for size, for speed, but also to stay healthy. If you don't lift, late in the year you'll get hurt. By lifting year round, you can increase your size and strength and stay healthy all season."

Last week, Teague and the Rangers defense stifled Rockdale for much of the game before giving up three late touchdowns. Teague played a big role in that game, helping out on a key goal-line stand and making several tackles for losses.

"Last week, our defense played a really good ball game," Pier said. "He made some really good stops. He was down there on that goal-line stand. He had some tackles in the backfield. The score didn't really reflect how well they played."