At 169 pounds, Cody Deal isn't very big.

But the Karns City senior outside linebacker certainly became productive last year — and might be even more so this year.

Deal led the Gremlins with 99 tackles a season ago, also contributing seven tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a key cog as the team rolled to the District 9 Class AA championship.

“He just has a lot of football savvy,” KC coach Ed Conto said. “He knows the game. He knows how to anticipate and put himself in position to make plays.”

Deal may add the position of quarterback to his resume this season. He is competing with fellow senior Caleb King for the starting spot.

If Deal does step behind center, he hopes he can continue to step on the field defensively.

“That's not up to me, but, yeah, I really want to play linebacker, too,” Deal said. “Whatever the coaches decide they want me to do, I'll do it. But I like playing both ways.

“If I don't play much on defense, someone else will step in and do what I did last year, probably more.”

Karns City football is a system, after all, and Deal believes the numbers he put up last year were a product of that system.

“It's never one guy here,” he said. “No way could I do that by myself. It's the rest of the team, the other guys on defense. Our defensive line controls the line of scrimmage so guys like me can move in and make plays.”

Deal said it was his sophomore year — and lack of playing time — that set him up for a big junior season.

Karns City's football team was ravaged with injuries in 2012 and many of the sophomores saw ample playing time as a result. Deal wasn't really a part of that mix.

“That woke me up and made me realize I had to work harder,” he said. “Coming off shoulder surgery, too ... I had to make myself ready to play.”

A quarterback throughout his football career, Deal suffered a torn labrum while playing quarterback for the junior varsity his sophomore season. He underwent surgery in January of last year.

“I didn't know how much I'd be able to play football or how well I'd be able to play,” he admitted. “So I worked that much harder.”

Conto put Deal at linebacker because he believed he would make the biggest impact there.”

“Really, the kid could play any position,” Conto said. “Defensive end, safety, receiver, running back ... He's just a football player.

“If he doesn't play quarterback for us, he'll provably wind up as one our tailbacks. He's doing a nice job there as well.”

Deal has no individual goals for this season, no visions of 100 tackles or 1,000 yards passing.

“My goals ride the back of our team's success,” he said. “When we win games, I'm happy.”

Regardless of what kind of season he has, Deal is not planning on playing college football down the road.

“I'm planning on going to a trade school and becoming an electrician,” he said. “If some recruiter finds me and offers me a scholarship, that could change my mind, I guess.

“But I'm figuring football's over for me after this year.”