🏈 Berry to play on offense?

[Guest]

http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/oct/22/blog-fulmer-real-blessed-long-role-alabama-ut-riva/

the UT defensive coordinator’s interesting response to a question regarding potential fears of sophomore safety star Eric Berry playing offense.

“You have to live in your hopes and not your fears,” Chavis said. “If I ever get to the point where I’m afraid of anything, then I’m going to stay at home and ... well, I can’t wear my wife’s dress right now. The size isn’t right. But if I ever get (afraid), then I’m going to just stay at home and probably start cross-dressing.

“You’ve got to do what you need to do to win and be successful. If that’s going to help us, then I’m all for it. Berry’s a very, very talented young man. Certainly he could handle that, and if Coach (Phillip Fulmer) chooses to do that, I’ll be very, very happy.”

Q: Is there anything to give you pause about playing Eric Berry on offense or special teams — aside from the obvious chance of injury?

FULMER: “No. How many plays can he effectively do? So much of it depends on our defense getting off the field. If we can hold the other team to somewhere in the 50s as far as number of plays — and that’s not an easy thing to do when you’re playing a team like Alabama — then I think he can play on special teams and some on offense.

“The difficulty in that is when you plan for him to do some offensive things or spend the time in practice, then the defense can’t get him off the field enough and he ends up wearing down in the fourth quarter, and you want to have a chance to win with your best people in the fourth quarter not being worn out everywhere you can. Our safety position particularly is not a place that we have very good depth at right now. We’ve moved Dennis Rogan back there when we need him some to get some help, but from a complete standpoint of where we are, that’s a little bit difficult to do right now.”

Q: Is it a safe assumption that if the defense were able to get off the field faster that Berry might have already played some on offense?

FULMER: “Well, yes, some. He’s played all of special teams now, so you’re just talking about offense? Gerald Jones was able to give us a lot of the same things on offense. There’s no way to have a crystal ball and know if Eric would have been a little bit better in some way or another. They’re both shifty, fast guys. Certainly, as we’ve gotten this far into the season there are a couple of things that he can do — punt return, kickoff return.

“We’ve been working that for the last couple of weeks, some offensive plays that aren’t going to require a lot of time away from the defense. ... And if you’re not practicing it where your understanding is where it needs to be, you may get a play on offense, but you may give up one on defense if you’re not fully prepared. We’re far enough into the season where that should work out.”

Q: Do you envision him at quarterback on offense? Or some place else, like wide receiver?

FULMER: “I don’t know why I would actually say that right here today on Tuesday (laugher). But it’s a good question. (more laughter).”

 

[UAgrad93]

Put him over there. These gimmick offenses play right into our Staffs' hands.

 

[bammer1684]

Sure, I don't mind them putting him on offense...Wear him down so we don't have to worry about him as much on defense.

 

[TerryP]

Sure, I don't mind them putting him on offense...Wear him down so we don't have to worry about him as much on defense.

This may sound odd at first glance...

It'll take our offense to keep him off the field on offense.