Steven M. Sipple: Cornerbacks can't hide on bad days
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Nobody ever asked me to play cornerback.
However, a dear friend once hired me to clean stalls occupied by his thoroughbred race horses. I was in college and open to almost anything. So I did it. Arose at 5 a.m. daily and scooped out 20-some stalls, one after another, to earn money for food and gas.
It wasn’t always fun, but it was necessary — kind of like playing cornerback.
“As long as you’re doing well, people are going to love you,” said Andre Jones, currently the less-maligned of Nebraska’s two starting corners. “When you do bad, they’re going to stomp you when you’re down.”
Given the healthy number of tall, fleet and sure-handed wide receivers in the Big 12 Conference, Nebraska corners figure to endure their share of stomping this season.
Of course, corners accept their lot in life, understanding that biting criticism is as far away as the next long completion.
So, why do they bother to play corner?
Well, Jones said he loves the challenge. Loves to compete. Loves to shut down the foe.
He must be a glutton for punishment.
Corners are an easy mark because they operate on a metaphorical island, apart from the fray, alone in open field for all of the free world to see and judge.
Corners operate with an inherent disadvantage because wide receivers know where they’re headed.
“You’re basically responding to what he’s doing,” Jones said. “It’s pretty much the hardest position on the field other than quarterback.”
Playing corner is particularly difficult when a defense fails to pressure the quarterback. Then the waters around the metaphorical island become extremely deep and shark-infested.
Kansas quarterback Adam Barmann threw 54 passes Saturday night and wasn’t sacked once. That’s one of the most telling stats you will ever see. Nebraska prevailed in overtime 39-32, but it wasn’t because of strong defense.
Nobody among Husker defenders stood out much as Kansas piled up 574 total yards, including 405 through the air.
It became an especially long night for junior cornerback Cortney Grixby, beaten a handful of times.
“Unless we heat that rush up a little more, it’s going to be tough on them,” Husker defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said of his corners. “We have to help them out a little more.”
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Grixby, a proven veteran and team leader, is taking a beating from fans, however unfair.
“The one thing I’ll say about Cortney is he got banged up early in the game,” Cosgrove said Tuesday. “He came back and fought through it. I’m proud of what he did. He’s giving us his best effort. What more can you ask of a kid?”
Cosgrove said Grixby suffered a “bruise.” That’s it. A bruise. The coach wouldn’t say where on Grixby’s body the “bruise” occurred. Which makes perfect sense, really. After all, a healthy corner’s job is perilous enough without the foe knowing where he’s hurting.
Indeed, pity the ailing soul matched against Dwayne Jarrett, the 6-foot-5 Southern California wideout who made 11 catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 16 against Nebraska.
Next up for Grixby and Jones: Iowa State’s 6-foot-5 Todd Blythe (19 receptions for 257 yards and five TDs this season), 6-foot-4 Jon Davis (21-304) and 6-foot-1 Austin Flynn (23-287).
Coming soon to an island near you will be 6-3, 210-pound Jordy Nelson of Kansas State; 6-5, 220-pound Limas Sweed of Texas; 6-4, 220-pound Adarius Bowman of Oklahoma State; and a slew of Missouri receivers who no doubt can dunk a basketball any way they please, led by 6-5 tight ends Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman.
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan expressed confidence in his corners Tuesday.
“I think there are some flashes of really excellent play, especially by Andre Jones,” said Callahan, noting Jones’ second-quarter interception in the end zone against Kansas.
“Cortney has had his struggles here and there,” the coach added. “He’s bounced back. He’s a tough guy. He’s going to give you everything he’s got.”
Sometimes that won’t be good enough for the masses.
So, cornerback or stall-scooper?
Please hand over the shovel.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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