Past serves as a fitting example for current WVU CBs
Doug Belk doesn’t have to go far to point out, quite literally, to his cornerback room that one-year is all that’s needed to make a major difference on the field.
Plastered in the position room is a graphic that features the images of multiple former greats at the position that played in Morgantown. Adam Jones, Aaron Beasley, Keith Tandy, Daryl Worley and in the front sits an intense image of Rasul Douglas, who was with the Mountaineers last season.
That’s important because Belk has used the experiences of Douglas as a fitting teaching example to showcase to the rest of his cornerbacks that it can indeed be done.
“They see him in there every day,” Belk said. “The way he played and prepared helped propel him to the next level.”
A junior college prospect, Douglas appeared in 11-games during in his first season mostly as a reserve. Facing questions at cornerback, the 6-foot-2 athlete would step up during his second season to finish with eight total interceptions while earning first-team all-Big 12 honors.
Douglas was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of this past year’s NFL Draft. So cornerbacks that were on the roster last season and played behind him, or those new to the program, don’t have to travel far to see that one year is all it takes to change your outlook.
“We use that for motivation and I ask them all the time who is going to be the next one?” Belk said.
West Virginia for the second year in a row finds itself in a similar situation with one player returning with starting experience in Morgantown in senior Elijah Battle, another with limited snaps in senior Mike Daniels, a junior college newcomer in redshirt sophomore Hakeem Bailey and finally a graduate transfer from Syracuse in Corey Winfield, who is set to return from a hand injury this week.
Battle has five games of starting experience a year ago, while Winfield started two years for the Orange.
“For us as coaches in particular the Rasul Story was great for what we have this year,” Belk said.
The cornerbacks coach has taken notice that his position group has responded to the challenge and there has been heavy competition up and down the roster.
Since the spring and now into the fall, Belk has helped chart production in practice for each player such as pass-break ups, interceptions, missed assignments, errors and all other forms of statistics. With one glaring exception, when you get two hands on a pass but don’t pick it off it goes down as a missed opportunity instead of a regular pass breakup.
But why track statistics during practice?
Well the answer is quite simple.
“At the end of the day that’s what propels you to the next level,” Belk said.
Some players have started to separate from the rest of the pack at cornerback with Battle, Daniels and Bailey representing the top three at the position according to coordinator Tony Gibson. And with Winfield expected back this week, he will likely jump back into the mix there as well.
Battle is the most proven of the bunch while Bailey has been the darling of the spring and fall with his playmaking ability and knack for breaking on the ball.
But Daniels is one player that could arguably make the most connections to the story of Douglas. A junior college all-American, Daniels struggled with both his heath and picking up on the offense during his first year on campus seeing only limited action.
Now with an entire year under his belt, Daniels has emerged as one of the top options at the cornerback position and has a completely different approach than he did a season ago.
“He’s one of our better guys,” Daniels said.
Belk has observed that Daniels also has a unique skill set and while he can cover in man-to-man situations, he also is the most physical option the Mountaineers have at cornerback.
He or Winfield could end up being options at nickel as well given their physical nature.
Another year and new faces will be at cornerback, but there is a success story to model and the West Virginia coaches are hoping it’s a lesson the players take to heart.
