Brady Daigh runs off the field to the bench on Oct. 4, 2014. The Buffs fell 36-21 to Oregon State. (Alexandra Greenwood/CU Independent)

For a young and struggling CU defense, the loss of sophomore inside linebacker Addison Gillam should have been a crippling blow. But it wasn’t. When Gillam got hurt, responsibilities fell to senior linebacker Brady Daigh.

If you were to ask which player Colorado’s defense really could not afford to lose, the obvious answer would be Gillam. He’s a captain, led the team in tackles last year as a freshman and is widely regarded as the most important piece of Colorado’s defense. But the Buffs are more than just one player. They are a team, and when one player goes down another has to step up. Colorado’s defense has been ravaged with injuries this season, and the team has developed a “next man up” mentality.

“We’ve responded well [to the injuries],” Gillam said. “The guys that filled those positions really stepped up.…Coach MacIntyre is always telling us our role can change at any minute, and we really saw that this year.”

Gillam’s emergence as a freshman last season forced Daigh into a backup role. While Daigh did not begin as a starter, he prepared every day like he was.

“It starts at practice every week, just going out and competing hard, not taking reps off because a young guy came in,” Daigh said. “It’s kind of tough when it happens, but we instilled a good mindset on this team that roles change every week and you have to be ready for that.”

It’s not like Daigh is a stranger to the field. He has had playing time in every season as a CU linebacker and on special teams. As a freshman, Daigh led the team in tackles-per-snap with one every 4.6 plays.

Daigh has been a star on special teams during his entire career at Colorado. He is top 10 all-time in Colorado’s special team points. Daigh was also awarded the Bill McCartney Award for special teams achievement as a sophomore and the Dick Anderson Award for outstanding toughness as a junior.

With all that experience, it comes as no surprise that Daigh has excelled this season when given the chance, least of all to head coach Mike MacIntyre.

“I expected him to play well,” MacIntyre said. “He’s a guy that gets a lot of reps. He’s an older guy, he’s extremely tough. I was excited to see him go in there and I expected him to play well.”

Daigh has played more than well. In games where Gillam was out or left early, Daigh proved that perseverance pays off. He is seventh on the team in tackles with 36. He has the most tackles-for-loss on the team with five. He is also the only linebacker with a sack besides Gillam. What’s most impressive is that Daigh has played just 281 snaps this year.

It is hard to ignore the work he has done this season, and what that has meant to CU’s defense.

“I think Brady’s played hard,” MacIntyre said. “He’s done some good things, he’s played physical. He has to play through an injury with his shoulder, too. Brady’s done an admirable job filling in.”

For his part, Daigh expected to go out and perform when he got the chance.

“I knew I would be ready,” Daigh said. “That’s how we practice every week. That’s what Coach Mac says every week: ‘You guys got to be ready.’ I’ve been there before, my freshman and sophomore year when guys went down. So that definitely helped me, too.”

Gillam echoed the sentiment.

“He really stepped up,” Gillam said. “For him to be prepared and ready to step in, it was awesome. Being the [mic’d-up] linebacker, you have to know the other offenses. You have to be the quarterback of the defense back there, and he earned the team’s respect.”

Daigh’s highlight-reel game came in a loss to UCLA. His 12 tackles tied for the most in a single game this season at Colorado.

“It was a fun game,” Daigh said. “I wish we could have pulled that one off. I definitely made my fair share of mistakes, but I just went hard and tried to go as hard as I can. I tried to to make the plays as I could.”

Being a senior, Daigh understands he has to make the most of every chance he gets.

“It means a lot,” Daigh said of being able to start this year. “It’s fun getting out there for my senior year. It’s my last go around, so every snap you get you have to cherish. There’s not too many left.”

Effort and perseverance are two things that have defined Daigh’s career. Through his college years, he suffered a hip contusion, a cervical spinal strain, a sprained ankle and a knee sprain. This assortment of injuries caused him to miss games in each of his first three seasons. Coming into his junior year, following a season where he played in all games he was healthy for, Daigh had his starting linebacker job taken by Gillam.

But despite losing the starting spot, and despite the injuries, he continued to battle back.

“I think it shows a lot of character,” Gillam said. “Being able to push through and stay focused and be ready. It shows his character.”

Where does Daigh get the motivation to continue on?

It comes from his love of the game.

“It’s tough [to not start], but I’m just blessed to be out here playing this game,” Daigh said. “Not a lot of people have the opportunity to be out here. There’s no place that’s better to go out and play. That’s what keeps me motivated.”

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sean Kelly at sean.d.kelly@colorado.edu.