Cal linebacker Evan Weaver broke the Pac-12 single-season record with 181 total tackles. He did it with a few simple desires:

“Winning and hitting people as hard as you possibly can and really taking the soul out of people,” Weaver said in a conference call after being drafted in the sixth round by the Arizona Cardinals.

Taking the soul out of people? That sounds like the player the Cardinals front office and coaching staff met at the Senior Bowl, general manager Steve Keim said in a conference call following the conclusion of the draft.

“It was two seconds until you realized the saying that it’s better to say ‘Woah’ than ‘Sic ’em,'” Keim said. “It was like easy, Francis, let’s chill out a little bit. He’s ready to roll and he’s a tough guy.”

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury got the same impression.

“That’s a bit aggressive, but that sounds like him,” he said of the taking souls comment.

“He walks in that room and he’s on fire. I mean, he’s ready to hit people in that room. That’s how he wakes up, that’s how he goes to sleep.”

After recording 155 total tackles as a junior at Cal, Weaver set the conference record as a senior. More than 100 of his 181 tackles were solo.

Keim noted Weaver’s instincts as an impressive part of his game. Weaver also alluded to natural abilities.

“I think it’s just being able to play football. There are some guys that were just born to do it and there are some guys who drop off their potential,” the linebacker said. “I’m one of those guys who have been doing it, been doing it for a while and I’m going to keep doing it.”

The Cardinals plan to play him at the MIKE linebacker position, Weaver said.

He will be in the mix among linebackers Tanner Vallejo, Zeke Turner, Dennis Gardeck and Keishawn Bierria to receive playing time behind Jordan Hicks and De’Vondre Campbell, and potentially Isaiah Simmons, depending how the Cardinals choose to use the first-round pick.

Weaver thinks his competitiveness will give him an edge on the football field.

“I bring a hyper-competitive guy who is willing to put in the work to do whatever it takes to win as many games as possible,” Weaver said. “I think I bring that. I just have to prove myself from here-on-out and get some wins for the Cardinals.”

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