Iowa State's Domonique Orange turns maturity into menacing play on the football field

AMES — Domonique Orange knows how to make a statement.

On the first play of Iowa State’s season opener, the sophomore defensive lineman broke through the scrum of bodies on the line and directed his missile-bound body at Northern Iowa quarterback Theo Day.

As Day let off a deep incomplete pass downfield, Orange launched himself into the Panthers’ signal caller. Day landed 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, his helmet went flying and Orange rolled off the downed quarterback, flexing his biceps in celebration.

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The television broadcasters described Orange as “a force.”

For Orange, though, that moment was a blur.

“I’m gonna be honest, it came so fast. When I came free, I didn’t know if it was real,” Orange said. “So, when I hit him, I didn’t realize I knocked his helmet off. I just got up, looked to my left and was like, ‘Oh, his helmet’s off.’”

Then Orange saw the yellow flag lying on the field near the UNI quarterback.

He couldn’t believe it. Orange recalled feeling sick and thinking there was “no way” there was a foul. That wasn’t the way he wanted to kick off his sophomore season.

There was no penalty on the play, at least not on Orange. There was a pass interference call downfield, though. His takedown — while brutal — was well-timed and legal. He let out a full-body exhale when the referees announced that Orange was in the clear. It was a confidence-building moment for the defensive lineman, and one Iowa State fans won’t soon forget.

“Me personally, I want to set that tone for every game,” Orange said. “So, if I’m able to do that, Iowa State fans, they know the deal. It’s go time.”

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From a constant contributor to a must-watch guy on Iowa State’s defense

Orange expected to play one, maybe two snaps, as a true freshman defensive lineman. Instead, he saw action in all 12 of Iowa State’s games. Through a dozen matchups, he recorded eight total tackles and one quarterback hurry.

He’s off to a hot start this season, with six tackles — including one tackle for loss — and three quarterback hurries through the first four games.

“I feel great compared to last year,” Orange said. “Especially going into this (Oklahoma) game…I feel like I can hang with them now.”

Keeping with opposing offenses is part of the college game and, despite being in just his second year of college football, Orange doesn’t feel like a sophomore out on the field. And even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

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“In my mind, I treat it as if everyone out there is the same age,” Orange said. “We’re all 22-year-olds, even if I’m 19. We’re all grown men, we all came out to play. No matter (your age), you’re out on this field, you’re gonna have to play some football, regardless.”

It’s that type of answer — one that sounds like it came from the mouth of a 20-something-year-old veteran — that sets Orange apart less than two full years into his college career.

Getting a spot on a Division I roster showed that he had the talent to play at the next level.

Now Orange is focused on becoming the best player he can be, and that starts with one thing: Maturity.

Maturity leads to growth, in both the physical and mental aspects of the game

“Growing up, (he's) maturing,” defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said about the biggest factor in Orange’s progression.

Orange was a consensus 3-star recruit — a 4-star by Rivals — in high school. He was among the best players in the state of Missouri and made a name for himself on a North Kansas City team that featured other Division I recruits on the roster.

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But there is a difference between being great at the high school level and even just being good in college.

“Now you realize that everybody that you’re playing against is really talented,” Heacock said. “When that’s the case, you kind of take a step back and think, the stuff (you) used to be able to do in high school, that’s not working.”

Heacock credits Orange’s commitment to changing his body with his growth. The sophomore is better conditioned and is more active on the line of scrimmage, and it all goes back to Orange’s increased maturity level.

“Just growing up and realizing, ‘Man, if I’m going to be something different, I’m gonna have to be different.’ And I think he’s trying to do that.”

Orange does want to be different.

Like most college football players, he has dreams of making it to the National Football League.

And as he is improving, he is trying to be something different. With each snap played, Orange is progressing.

“Statistically, you can see it, I’m getting better,” Orange said. “My freshman year, I was just out there not understanding what was going on, didn’t really understand the game of football. If I want to get to where I want — obviously the NFL — I need to understand what’s going on at every position on the field.”

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Orange knows as well as anyone that he has a lot left to learn and there's still a lot of time for that education.

For now, he’s enjoying the highlight-reel moments as much as his teammates and hoping to make an impact at Iowa State.

“They want me to keep going, they want me to keep doing it,” Orange said. “They love what I’m doing (and) I love it too.”

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Domonique Orange is making an impact for Iowa State football's defense