Packers' Sam Barrington remains humble despite earning praise

Sam Barrington doesn't believe the hype, surrounding himself, that is.

The Green Bay Packers linebacker finished 2014 strong, prompting many to believe he'll be starting in the middle of the defense next season. Barrington, however, is trying to keep things in perspective.

"Everybody wants to seem to crown me for no reason," Barrington told the team's website.

Well it wasn't exactly for no reason. Barrington had a strong second half of the season and totaled 21 tackles over the final three contests.

Although he is cautious about reading too much into a few good games, Barrington isn't shying away from the pressure of being a starting middle linebacker. The 24-year-old is even hoping to take on the defensive play-calling duties.

"I kind of hope for it," said Barrington. "If you're going to do it, why not do it big? If you're going to be the guy in the middle, be the guy in the middle. Be an every-down linebacker."

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers likes what he sees from Barrington

"You could see him grow every week," Capers said. "As a signal caller, he'd make his calls with confidence. Once he recognized something, he could go from point A to point B. He's got some quick twitch to him."

The emergence of Barrington could have an added benefit for Clay Matthews. The pass rusher was moved to the middle last season, and if Barrington can lock things down, it should allow Matthews to focus more on attacking the quarterback.