August 8, 2015
Ben Jones
TideSports.com Staff Writer
Most college football players take it in stride when they see their name on a lengthy preseason watch list for an award. There are so many names listed that it can almost go unnoticed.
But when they're not included? That can elicit a different reaction.
University of Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones didn't find his name among 42 candidates on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's best defensive back.
"I'm not going to say disrespected, but, I mean, it is kind of disappointing," Jones said. "Me just being a competitor and knowing what I can do as a player, I do feel like I don't get the respect sometimes. But it just adds extra motivation to me."
Jones was a second-team All-SEC selection last year. There are three other defensive backs who were first- or second-team selections on the AP's 2014 All-SEC teams; all three were on the Thorpe watch list.
The senior won't have much time to focus on that between now and fall camp. The secondary is replacing two starters from last year, and Jones is the most experienced player in the group. Sophomore cornerback Tony Brown started two games as a freshman, but head coach Nick Saban said he worked with the second team when camp opened on Thursday.
"We gave up too many big plays, so it's a point of emphasis that we play better in the secondary," Saban said. "We're giving lots of people lots of opportunities at different positions."
Alabama gave up 10 pass plays of 50 or more yards last year, ranking 11th in the SEC. It gave up one pass of 50 or more yards just a year earlier. Saban wanted a renewed emphasis on attention to detail from the defensive backs, something Jones has noticed already.
The secondary is also adjusting to a new coach. Defensive backs coach Mel Tucker is in his first year at Alabama after spending a decade working in the NFL.
"He's just another guy that brings energy to the team and demands a lot out of us as DBs and every player," Jones said. "You know what you're going to get from him - high energy guy. It's just a great guy to kind of learn from and pick his brain a little bit."
New faces abound in the secondary, with five signees from the class of 2015. Several of those players could be counted on to contribute early if they seize the opportunities Saban and Tucker have created early in camp.
In the summer, Jones said he saw the athleticism that brought those players to Alabama. Now the coaching staff will search for who can display the reliability they need.
"We alternate them all in there and the guys that play the best will be the guys that we make a decision about playing with," Saban said. "I think that it's important that those guys understand that they have to go out there and develop the trust of their teammates that they're going to be able to go out there and do their job on a consistent basis."
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1790361
Ben Jones
TideSports.com Staff Writer
Most college football players take it in stride when they see their name on a lengthy preseason watch list for an award. There are so many names listed that it can almost go unnoticed.
But when they're not included? That can elicit a different reaction.
University of Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones didn't find his name among 42 candidates on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's best defensive back.
"I'm not going to say disrespected, but, I mean, it is kind of disappointing," Jones said. "Me just being a competitor and knowing what I can do as a player, I do feel like I don't get the respect sometimes. But it just adds extra motivation to me."
Jones was a second-team All-SEC selection last year. There are three other defensive backs who were first- or second-team selections on the AP's 2014 All-SEC teams; all three were on the Thorpe watch list.
The senior won't have much time to focus on that between now and fall camp. The secondary is replacing two starters from last year, and Jones is the most experienced player in the group. Sophomore cornerback Tony Brown started two games as a freshman, but head coach Nick Saban said he worked with the second team when camp opened on Thursday.
"We gave up too many big plays, so it's a point of emphasis that we play better in the secondary," Saban said. "We're giving lots of people lots of opportunities at different positions."
Alabama gave up 10 pass plays of 50 or more yards last year, ranking 11th in the SEC. It gave up one pass of 50 or more yards just a year earlier. Saban wanted a renewed emphasis on attention to detail from the defensive backs, something Jones has noticed already.
The secondary is also adjusting to a new coach. Defensive backs coach Mel Tucker is in his first year at Alabama after spending a decade working in the NFL.
"He's just another guy that brings energy to the team and demands a lot out of us as DBs and every player," Jones said. "You know what you're going to get from him - high energy guy. It's just a great guy to kind of learn from and pick his brain a little bit."
New faces abound in the secondary, with five signees from the class of 2015. Several of those players could be counted on to contribute early if they seize the opportunities Saban and Tucker have created early in camp.
In the summer, Jones said he saw the athleticism that brought those players to Alabama. Now the coaching staff will search for who can display the reliability they need.
"We alternate them all in there and the guys that play the best will be the guys that we make a decision about playing with," Saban said. "I think that it's important that those guys understand that they have to go out there and develop the trust of their teammates that they're going to be able to go out there and do their job on a consistent basis."
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1790361
