For the past three years, Joel Lanning has done everything to avoid interceptions.

Now, playing on the defensive side of the ball, interceptions are something Lanning seeks out, and it paid off Saturday. After spending the whole spring season adjusting to his move to linebacker, Lanning got his first interception — a pick six — of the spring on Saturday during the spring game.

On the first play of a possession, Jacob Park fired a pass across the middle to Trever Ryen, who couldn’t hang on to complete the catch. The ball sailed toward Lanning, who picked off the pass and returned the interception 37 yards for a touchdown.

“I like the end zone,” Lanning said. “So I’m trying to score whenever I can.”

The touchdown was a culmination of sorts for Lanning. From battling for the No. 1 quarterback spot to simply trying to get as much experience at linebacker as possible, Lanning’s spring season has been up and down.

“I really don’t even know if I was in the right spot or whatever,” Lanning said of his interception.

Capping it off with an interception was about as perfect as it could have been.

“I had one probably like that the first week of spring ball and I dropped it,” Lanning said. “It looked like a beach ball to me, just too easy. So I had to get one back and that was a good way to end the spring.”

Lanning said that even if he hadn’t gotten the interception, he felt confident that he was making the right plays Saturday.

Coach Matt Campbell was pleased with Lanning’s play as well.

“That was pretty good, no?” Campbell said. “I think Joel’s a guy that got better every day. I told one of my trusted friends a couple months ago that this guy had the chance to be pretty special.

“The reality of it is the guy is a great athlete. I wouldn’t have ever put Joel in a position to fail.”

Still, one interception in a spring game does not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme. The focus is on next fall and making sure Lanning is able to contribute on gamedays in September and beyond.

“Lot of work to do, though,” Campbell said. “That’s a hard transition to make and I’m not silly. I know what the work ethic is that it’s going to take … to get to that rate consistently.”

Lanning, who finished the game with four tackles, said he’s felt a little banged up after practices this spring and knows the regular season will be the same.

“When you’re in the season and you’re going 12 weeks in a row, you’ve got to take care of your body,” Lanning said. “It’s going to be huge for me to take care of my body this summer, too.”