Don’t worry, be happy, Tennessee will have two cornerbacks by the time the football season starts. It might have three.
We don’t know their names or where they are this very moment but they’ll be at Neyland Stadium in time for the September 1 kickoff against 32-point underdog Ball State.
Before you ask, Ball State is from Muncie, Indiana. Tennessee is paying $1.5 million for bus fare. The Cardinals’ quarterback, John Paddock, has been a reserve for four seasons. If he throws a touchdown pass, it will be his first.
Look for Volunteer corners, nevertheless, to be on high alert. They’ll be wearing beautiful orange shirts (unless the team chooses alternate uniforms to crank up the excitement on the party deck and sell more souvenirs). Digital tickets are available.
Willie Martinez
We’ll soon see if Willie Martinez, coach of defensive backs, is also a magician. If not, he’s stuck with the weak link.
Under ideal circumstances, Tennessee would be promoting a cornerback for at least conference honors about now. Alas, it has no candidate and remains uncertain who will give chase if a rival receiver is observed fleeing with the football.
Alontae Taylor, best corner the past three years, has gone away, to collect millions from the New Orleans Saints (estimated $7,204,684 with a signing bonus of $2,419,770).
I knew Alontae was an outstanding young man. I knew he was a leader in the VOLeaders Academy. He was elected by his peers as vice chair of the SEC Football Leadership Council, communications conduit to the league office. He said he learned a lot about real life during a 12-day outreach program in Belize.
I knew he could run pretty fast. I didn’t realize he was a $7-million football player. I suppose the price has gone up.
Coaches have told me the cornerback position requires speed, agility, strength and the ability to suddenly change directions. It helps to be nimble enough to back-pedal without falling over your feet. The skill set absolutely requires tackling and shedding blocks to make tackling possible.
Run support is hard, risky work. Bruises and grass stains are by-products.
Corners are far more valuable if they can readily analyze receiver routes and read quarterbacks’ eyes and minds. Added value comes with prompt recovery from getting beat deep before it happens again.
I have been told corner is the most difficult position to play. Much of the responsibility is mano a mano, you against him. Option football forces critical defensive decisions. Brilliant athletes lined up as receivers create physical mismatches.
In theory, receivers know where they are going. Cornerbacks are left with scouting reports, tea leaves or just plain speculation.
Pressure? There is some. So much of what a corner is asked to do is out in the open, in front of God and everybody.
Tennessee has never had a cornerback as good as needed. No former Vol corner is in the College Football Hall of Fame. There are tailbacks to spare, great guards, lethal linebackers and legends like Doug Atkins, Reggie White, Bob Johnson and Peyton.
Dale Carter and Eric Berry may have been Tennessee’s best defensive backs. They were safety types. Deon Grant, Albert Dorsey and Conrad Graham won some honors. Jimmy Weatherford was good. He had the skills and fierceness to challenge top receivers. Cameron Sutton was a corner of some renown. Terry Fair? Terry McDaniel? Not bad, not bad at all.
Martinez now has an interesting choice (dilemma?). He can pull a corner out of his cap, manufacture a few or find one in the transfer waiting room. It has been picked over.
Willie’s problem was obvious a year ago. Tennessee had the worst pass defense in the Southeastern Conference. It ranked 122 in the nation in passing yardage allowed. Purdue made it look awful in the bowl game. The Boilermakers threw for 534 and five touchdowns.
Corners do not have clear title to all those numbers. There were broken assignments by others and not nearly enough heat on winning quarterbacks. I defer to defensive coordinator Tim Banks about that.
Until further notice, let us be concerned.
Kamal Hadden and Warren Burrell are the most experienced corners. This leads to the forever argument of whether experience or talent is more valuable on third and eight.
Christian Charles, switched from safety, missed most of a week in a no-contact jersey. Freshman Christian Harrison now has it. Brandon Turnage, Dee Williams and De’Shawn Rucker are in the scramble for playing time.
Corners missed too much of spring drills because of injuries. Corners are missing August work because of injuries. Coaches call this “disruptions.”
Tennessee does not depend on excuses. Injuries are simply inconvenient. Some are totally unexpected. Hadden was hurt on the second day, before the Vols put on pads.
Even as unsettled as things are, don’t worry, be happy. Some other time you can fret about the general lack of speed in the secondary and indecision at nickel. The first pivotal game is most of a month away.
Marvin West welcomes reader comments or questions. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com