The Details: For Washington?s Secondary, Progress Is A Process
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Jimmy Lake knew he was going to do a lot of teaching.
When the defensive backs coach joined Washington’s staff, he saw plenty of talent, but he also noticed there was only one senior penciled in as a starter. To get the Huskies ready, Lake went back to basics.
“I’ve probably given out more tests than I’ve ever given out as a coach,” Lake said with a laugh after Tuesday’s practice.
It started this summer.
“We’re allowed to meet with these guys in the summer now, so we even had meetings in the summertime, trying to prepare these guys, because we knew so many young guys were going to be playing,” Lake said.
With young players thrust into prominent positions, Lake schedules walkthroughs before and after practice. He shows them scenarios. Then he goes over them again. He is giving his players an accelerated undergraduate education, so they can play at a graduate level earlier than expected.
“Hopefully we’re laying a really good foundation,” Lake said. “As we get into the middle of the season, they’re going to know what we’re talking about more and, when we get into spring football, there’s going to be a lot of recall in techniques and scheme.”
Through three games this season, Washington’s secondary has been tested. The Huskies gave up 475 passing yards and seven touchdowns against Eastern Washington. Then Marcus Peters was given a one-game suspension and redshirt freshman Jermaine Kelly suffered an ankle injury that required surgery.
Faced with adversity, true freshmen Sidney Jones and Budda Baker have been asked to step into starting roles, while sophomore Kevin King has been called on to be a playmaker after seeing limited time last season.
It hasn’t been easy, but Washington’s defensive backs are treating mistakes as opportunities to improve.
“It’s a next play mentality,” King said. “Something is going to happen. These guys, they’re in college, too. They’re going to make their plays. You’ve got to step up and next play, next play, next play.”
Each snap provides a scenario that reinforces something they learned in practice.
“The jitters are calming down a little bit,” King said. “We’re starting to play how we’ve played since we were little. Everything is slowing down.”
Lake sees progress from his players, but like any coursework – undergraduate or graduate – expertise is gained over time.
“They’ve responded great,” Lake said. “It’s still a work in progress. We’re not near where we need to be. We’ve got a ways to go, but I’m really encouraged with the work these guys are putting in and the extra time they’re putting in to learn these defenses and learn these techniques.”
Working with a group of young players has provided a unique challenge, but he looks forward to the day when experiences matches talent in Washington’s secondary.
“It’s a fun challenge, but every single year is fun for me,” he said. “I love this job. I love coaching football. Even if it was whole room of veterans, that’s going to be another level of fun, because you can teach them even more and put them in even better positions to make plays.”
"We’re laying a really good foundation. As we get into the middle of the season, they’re going to know what we’re talking about more and, when we get into spring football, there’s going to be a lot of recall in techniques and scheme.”
As the Huskies have moved from fall camp into the first few games of the season, Lake is starting to see players call out routes before snaps in practices that lead to interceptions.
It’s progress.
“There’s football 101, and that’s kind of like a football 301 play,” Lake said. “These guys are starting to get this a little bit, but we need to get these guys up to a 501 graduate level and that’s my job as a coach.”
With each play, Baker is getting more comfortable floating between safety and nickel positions.
“He’s understanding the defense, understanding what his role is in this defense,” Lake said.
Jones is preparing for what could be his second start at corner.
“He’s done a good job of honing in on what his techniques are and now we’re just hoping he makes some more plays out there,” Lake said.
And King is on the cusp of breakout performance.
“I’m just excited for more balls to come his way,” Lake said, “because I think the next time they do, he’s going to make a few plays for us.”
Washington’s secondary has endured its share of tough moments this season, but there has been progress.
It’s a process.
“These guys are all newborn babies,” Lake said. “We’re nursing them along.”
