Jackson's Peiffer to wear Southeast helmet

Jackson linebacker Blake Peiffer, who led all of Southeast Missouri with 162 tackles this past fall, has committed verbally to play football for Southeast Missouri State.

The high school senior said he likely would make it official with the Redhawks on signing day Wednesday.

"I really do believe deep down that they are up and coming and about to break through, and I just wanted to be a part of it," said Peiffer, who was a three-year starter at Jackson High School. "And I believe I'll get my chance to play there."

Peiffer was selected as the 2008 Southeast Missourian player of the year. In addition to his duties at linebacker, he played on Jackson's offensive line. Peiffer helped the Indians advance to the Class 5 semifinals in 2007 and 2008. He led Jackson with 112 tackles his junior year.

The first-team Class 5 all-state linebacker said he did not receive any offers besides Southeast, which finished seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 2-6 league record and 4-8 overall in 2008.

His father, Dan Peiffer, played center for Southeast in the 1970s. Dan then played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins before retiring in the 1980s.

Peiffer said he thinks there is a chance he could play his freshman year. Southeast has a void to fill at middle linebacker with the graduation of Nick Stauffer, who led the Redhawks in tackles in 2008.

"As of right now, I believe I've got just as good a shot as any of the other linebackers to start," Peiffer said. "I've got to get in there and learn the system and put my time in and work hard every day."

Peiffer cited some successful linebackers at Southeast over the past couple of years, and that was important to him.

"One of the reasons that swayed my decision to commit to them was [Southeast] having two all-conference linebackers in the past three years," Peiffer said. "So they're doing something right. I got a chance to talk to the linebackers coach [Troy Dumas] for a little bit and he discussed their defense and alignments. And then coach [Tony] Samuel, I talked to him a little bit about it and he just said that the way they run their front line and fill gaps, it seems really good and set up for a linebacker to do good."

Peiffer will reunite with former Jackson teammate Antonio Garritano, a freshman who redshirted with the Redhawks in 2008.

"It's always good to get back with old teammates, and I know a couple of the other kids," Peiffer said. "I've played against a couple of the kids on the team and wrestled with a couple of them."

Peiffer also is glad that he will stay close to home.

"This way most of my family will be able to come -- my mom, dad, aunts, uncles and grandma, so it's always good to know that your family is there," Peiffer said.