Why AJ Dillon is special, according to his teammates and head coach
"His confidence is just through the roof."
His center lovingly calls him a “freak of nature.” His protégé views him as a “big brother.” His quarterback believes his confidence is “through the roof.”
AJ Dillon’s teammates don’t hold back as they gush about what he means to the Eagles. They’ve seen their re-energized running back fuel BC to a 2-0 start after an ankle injury affected the end of his 2018 season.
The junior Dillon has flaunted his versatility to start the year, and those who know him best aren’t at all surprised by his return to form. Here’s what teammates Alec Lindstrom, David Bailey, Jake Burt, and Anthony Brown, and head coach Steve Addazio have said about Dillon this season.
“He’s a freak of nature.”
Lindstrom, the team’s starting center, works closely with Dillon every day.
They have a mutually beneficial relationship, as Lindstrom makes Dillon’s life significantly easier, and Dillon makes Lindstrom’s life a lot more rewarding.
Lindstrom praised Dillon for his carefree and jovial nature off the field, but he made it clear Dillon’s killer instinct kicks in as soon as he starts playing. Suddenly, he’s not such a warm person.
“He’s just amazing,” Lindstrom said. “He’s a freak of nature. He’s big, he’s fast and he can catch everything. It’s awesome. It’s just fun to watch.”
“AJ’s like a big brother.”
While Dillon gets the bulk of the carries for the Eagles, he doesn’t do it alone. He has plenty of help from a deep group of running backs, including the backup Bailey.
Dillon leads the Eagles with 40 carries for 175 yards and three rushing touchdowns through three games, but Bailey is right there with him at 25 carries, 139 yards, and one TD.
The sophomore bulldozer Bailey expressed how much Dillon has meant to him not just as a mentor on the field, but also as one off it. He said Dillon is a really close friend and someone he can count on for advice and guidance.
“AJ’s like a big brother,” Bailey said. “We’re real close. We’re always together and we always talk. I can always call him when I need to talk about something, or he can call me when he needs to talk about something.”
Bailey said Dillon has put in extra work this offseason, making any little improvements to his game that he can. He pointed out how much Dillon has sharpened his ability to catch passes out of the backfield, adding that he’s always a threat to take it to the house when he catches the ball.
Dillon showed that ability against Richmond last Friday, hauling in a pass from quarterback Anthony Brown and making multiple defenders miss before entering turbo mode and sprinting to the end zone.
“He keeps working on it until he perfects it,” Bailey said.
Then Bailey, unprompted by Lindstrom and unaware his lineman had used the same term, went back to a familiar phrase.
“He’s AJ,” Lindstrom said. “He’s a freak. Everybody sees it every week. They see everything he does. He’s a freak on and off the field.”
.@BCFootball dominates Richmond 45-13.
Anthony Brown and AJ Dillon each tack on 3⃣ TDs in the win!#WeAreBC | @anthonybrown_2 @ajdillon7 pic.twitter.com/INVrDMCSI0
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) September 7, 2019
“His hands have gotten better every year.”
The tight end Burt, who knows a thing or two about having good hands, also credited Dillon for his ability to catch passes out of the backfield.
Dillon didn’t catch any passes his freshman year, and he finished with eight his sophomore year, but now it’s clear the Eagles want to get him more involved in that area.
When Dillon is a threat all over the field, that forces defenses to constantly worry about him, which opens up opportunities for Burt and the rest of the offense. Whether Dillon is a decoy or the target, he’s always a weapon.
“Two-hundred fifty five (pounds), 4.5 (40-yard dash), that basically says it all,” Burt said. “His hands have gotten better every year. He’s only learned more and gotten more comfortable in the offense. He’s running very hard right now, running fast, he looks good.”
The roster lists Dillon at 250 pounds, and his recruiting profile from a few years back has his 40-yard dash time at 4.54, but the overall message remains the same: He combines size and speed in a way that few do.
In an April 2018 article for The Athletic, Nicole Auerbach reported that his mother, Jessyca Campbell, found out Dillon was measuring over 13 pounds when she went to her obstetrician two weeks before he was due to be born.
Doctors opted for an induced labor, and Dillon reportedly ended up weighing nine pounds, four ounces. He’s always been big, and that’s only increased as he’s bulked up over the years.
“AJ, along with all of our backs, they’re such big, powerful backs,” Burt said. “They get to make people miss, and it makes our jobs a lot easier.”
BC Football – live via https://t.co/PQFwstlJqq https://t.co/keQ5fuSANX
— Boston College Football (@BCFootball) September 7, 2019
“His confidence is just through the roof.”
It’s not that Dillon has ever lacked confidence, but his teammates believe he’s reached a new level this season.
Dillon has been a key contributor as BC has racked up 950 yards of total offense through two games. The Eagles’ balance has been perhaps their most defining trait so far, but Dillon has maintained his role as a catalyst with 167 rushing yards and 63 receiving yards.
BC’s starting quarterback, Brown, believes Dillon is a nightmare for opponents all over the field, including as a pass-catcher. Like Burt, Brown highlighted how much Dillon’s versatility helps the offense flourish.
“Honestly, he’s been working at it every single day,” Brown said. “When I say every day, I actually mean every day. So I feel his confidence is just through the roof. He feels like he can catch anything. He’s actually asking for passing plays now. It’s excellent to see his confidence, and I’m happy for him right now.”
“You have a conversation about what took place on the field, and he can spit it back to you.”
Dillon, who missed games against NC State and Louisville in early October last year due to a lingering ankle injury, is fully healthy and executing at a high level to start the 2019 season.
Addazio made it clear Dillon took the injuries on and worked to take his body to another level. He told reporters before the season started that Dillon looked “ready, strong, fast, and really on top of his game.”
The head coach was right, as Dillon has already scored four touchdowns in two games to open the year. It’s no surprise to Addazio, who praised Dillon for his willingness to learn and get better.
“You have a conversation about what took place on the field, and he can spit it back to you,” Addazio told reporters. “No, it’s very matter of fact. This what I saw. This is what happened, boom, boom, boom.”
Addazio pointed out that Dillon had to deal with the “roller-coaster ride” of having success and understanding how to deal with the challenges that can stem from that.
“He had to learn how to handle that better,” Addazio told reporters. “We all have to learn how to handle that better, the ups and downs of notoriety. So I think it’s all been an evolution.”
