The position was new. The attitude, not so much.
Arms crossed, Vic So'oto stands at his locker. This 6-foot-3, 263-pound brick house of a man admits his temper is short. His patience runs low.
A tight end-turned-defensive end at Brigham Young, So'oto was converted to outside linebacker in the Green Bay Packers' 3-4 scheme. Management figured position coach Kevin Greene could never have too many fire-breathing pupils.
Yes, it's been a perfect fit.
"As a Polynesian, Samoan type of guy, cracking skulls comes naturally," So'oto said. "It's something you're born with."
One more game of "cracking skulls" is probably all So'oto needs to lock up a roster spot. Heading into Thursday's preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field, So'oto and fellow undrafted rookie Jamari Lattimore of Middle Tennessee State are positioned well. Both outside linebackers have grown up as quick as anyone on the team.
Good timing, too. Erik Walden ran away with the starting spot opposite Clay Matthews, but the backup slots at outside linebacker remain jumbled.
After suffering a broken shoulder blade, Frank Zombo's immediate future is uncertain. Brad Jones, expected to compete for a starting spot, hasn't stood out. And sixth-rounder Ricky Elmore never adapted.
Which leaves So'oto and Lattimore. They're cast in two completely different body types. So'oto is built like a security guard, Lattimore like he could double at safety. In a hurry, both matured from half-clueless rookies to contributors on the verge of cracking an NFL roster.
"I feel like everything is coming to a head," So'oto said. "This is the last game to prove myself. Hopefully I can do something that the coaches like and they'll want to keep me around."
Transitioning from a 4-3 end to a 3-4 outside linebacker runs deeper than X's and O's. Greene, a 15-year NFL veteran at the position, explains.
"It's always a vision thing," Greene said. "You go from having your hand in the dirt and looking straight ahead to standing up and actually having to acquire all of the eligibles and where they line up and what does that mean to you and your pass coverage."
So'oto relies on the darkness inside of him, his mean streak. Part of him wants to be a UFC fighter. He loves watching George St. Pierre and Rampage Jackson. His given name, Vitale Ta'aga Magauli So'oto, even has a cagefighting ring to it. So'oto knows his wife - the driving force behind him picking Green Bay over Arizona and Miami after the lockout - would not approve.
So football it is.
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