Secondary Not Secondary in Importance
6 comments so far
June 18, 2007 by
Continuing my analogies between football and baseball, I said defensive linemen are like pitchers and linebackers are like infielders. So naturally that makes defensive backs…third base coaches (just kidding). No, the secondary are like your outfielders. Just as a great outfielder can climb the wall to steal a homerun, a defensive back can steal a touchdown even when the offensive line protected well, the quarterback made a good throw and the receiver ran a good route.
If you want to have a perfect season, you’re going to need guys that clean up mistakes up front. In 1994, starting cornerbacks Barron Miles and Tyrone Williams received 1st team all-conference recognition and safety Kareem Moss 2nd team honors. In 1995, Tyrone Williams again was a 1st team all conference player, while safeties Mike Minter and Tony Veland drew 2nd team honors. In 1997, cornerback Ralph Brown was 1st team all-conference, safety Mike Brown was 2nd team all-conference and Eric Warfield was named to the 3rd team.
While Husker fans may find it hard to believe, cornerback Cortney Grixby, and safeties Andrew Shanle and Tierre Green were all named all-conference honorable mention players after the 2006 season. Maybe that’s an indication that the Husker secondary was unfairly maligned, or that honors tend to come with Big 12 North championships.
Perhaps the good news for the current Husker team is that while you need defensive backs that can play at a high level to be champion, it doesn’t have to be the highest level. None of the defensive backs from Nebraska’s five national championship teams was a first-team All-American (at least not in the season Nebraska won the title). So while the Huskers probably need a better effort from the secondary to contend in 2007, finding one all-conference performer among Grixby, Green, safety Larry Asante, cornerbacks Armando Murillo, Zack Bowman, and Andre Jones would seem possible as would finding one or two more players to climb to second team status. There’s a lot more that would have to come together elsewhere on the team aside from the secondary, but despite what Husker fans saw (or thought they saw) in 2006, the NU secondary can be a strength in 2007.
» Enjoy this article?
Send it to your friend or get Husker news by email!
Post a comment
Gregory Jun 18 07
It could all come together for Cortney, this year. The guy really is a wonderful athlete, I can't believe he'll be a senior this year! "Elmo" will find the mix this year, there's some "top end" athletes in the two deep. I think Major should be put back, (in the back end) ASAP. Too good an athlete to waste, in a position like I-Back where he may not get to develop.
DonFla Jun 19 07
The pundits were wrong about Ralph and Mike Brown. They should both have been consensus All-Americans. They both left NU and became major contributors to the professional teams they joined. To compare this group to them is not living in reality. The true fact is that the secondary on this team is a weakness that needs to be improved. Hopefully with the additions make last year we can get back to level of confidence that allows the great linebacking corp that we have the freedom to not worry about covering for them. GBR
Steve Jun 19 07
DonFla,
Ralph and Mike were All-Americans as seniors, just not as sophomores (supporting the idea that returning players improve with experience). I don't see any All-Americans on the 2007 squad either. But all-conference? Maybe.
Donfla Jun 20 07
Steve are you agreeing with me or what? I was simply pointing out that both of those guys were shut down players, Ralph at corner could cover ANYBODY, Mike could cover the run as well as any safety we have ever had. They should have been CONSENSUS All Americans. The point I was trying to make was we have a long way to go to reach that same level of excellence we had when they were playing. When we do and I believe we will, then it will become what we have been spoiled to expect: reload and dominate.
Steve Jun 20 07
DonFla,
Sorry, I thought you took my post to mean that Ralph and Mike were never All-Americans, which would have been wrong. A Ralph or Mike would be great to find for this (or any future) Husker team, but the Huskers didn't have All-Americans in the secondary when they went 60-3. The point is, you can get by with less than that when you've got it where it counts most (i.e. up front).
For the Huskers to have high aspirations this year, they'll have to get by with less than that because there are no 2007 All-Americans in this bunch. I think everyone agrees on that.
DonFla Jun 22 07
Steve, I believe you hit the nail on the head, I am worried about the push up front, with so many untested peiple manning the trenches.