BROOKLINE – I can’t help but think about a few short months ago when I read the first Atlantic-10 press release.

Your Northeastern Huskies were picked to finish dead last in the A-10. Last. Behind James Madison who they just destroyed Saturday. Behind New Hampshire, Rhode Island and even Hofstra.

But Don Brown and his defense wouldn’t let that happen. And no one exemplifies the power of that defense any better than Liam Ezekial.

Ezekial is just an animal. Hands down one of the toughest guys I have ever seen. The tattoo on his arm states the word “Pain.”

He doesn’t have a gun. He has two. I have a feeling that if someone cut that man on the arm, there would be metal coming out of his arms.

He has the way about him. Not one of cockiness, but one of pure adreniline. The guy could take down a charter bus.

He’s the Terminator. He snuffs out runs. In fact, like the Terminator, he gets into people’s backfields in much the same way the Terminator would. By force.

It’s not that he has a reckless disregard for the rules, but there should be rules to stop a guy like him because, man, it’s just not fair.

Watch Liam persue. He’s fast. Watch Liam tackle. He’s tough. Watch Liam talk after the tackle. He’s mean. So let’s recap: fast, tough and mean. he has two guns and he’s got metal in his forearms. He’s the Terminator all right.

His neck is probably bigger than the waistes of all the cheerleaders and his demeanor on the field is one of utter control. He walked into Saturday’s press conference and sat down. He is a presence and I told my buddy Jack Weiland, “The man is a dominant force.”

Ezekial isn’t built like your ordinary middle linebacker. In fact, he’s not built like your ordinary human. He lacks nothing. He runs like a fullback (which he was recruited by the University of West Virginia for). He hits like a defensive end and he persues and tackles like a cornerback on a blitz package.

Liam Ezekial. Say that name to yourself for the next two years. He will show up every single week. He will change the way offenses prepare. Just ask James Madison coach Micky Matthews.

“That defense is good, man. They are a good defensive team. They play hard and when you turn the ball over seven times, that’s not good football either.”

Credit Steve Anzalone on three of those fumbles; forcing two and recovering a third. But Liam Ezekial did him one better. Ezekial intercepted a pass in the first quarter and took the ball to the house for a touchdown to make it 6-0 NU. In a game where the wind was a real factor, Ezekial’s touchdown loomed large early.

But he didn’t stop at that. He was in on damn near every single play and he forced freshman quarterback Jayson Cooke into some poor decisions.

There are a million things that I like about Ezekial, but the one I like the most is how simple he keeps it.

Ezekial on his interception.

“I saw the ball coming close and I got it. I got a key block downfield, stretched out and I got in.”

Yeah Liam!

Congrats to the Huskies; Champs of the A-10. Great job by Anzalone, Art Smith, who was practically in JMU’s backfield all day, and of course, the man who will keep doing it, Liam Ezekial.

Sunday, ESPNews and NESN will show the 1-AA selection show. Tune into The Northeastern News to find out where the Huskies will be playing next.