MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – He has to not only see the entire field but range it from sideline to sideline. His keys are as varied as the number and types of opponents he faces. He has to communicate with the entire defensive secondary, make calls, and also help bring along some youngsters in the one WVU unit that isn’t overly long on experience. But for West Virginia free safety Alonzo Addae, a few important fundamentals form the foundation for success, which he saw play out on last year’s defensive unit.
“We just did our job. We went into each game with the plan the coaches gave us, and nobody tried to do too much,” said the veteran safety, who is in his sixth season of college, although two of those did not include competition as he sat out 2016 at New Hampshire as a redshirt and 2019 as a transfer to WVU. “I think that can be an issue with the skill level of offensive players and coordinators. When you get your eyes in bad places and when you try to do somebody else’s job, bad things will happen. I feel like last year was a year where everybody stuck with what they needed to do and that made us successful.”
That may sound quite simple, but in truth many of the keys to success are. It’s being able to stick to them, to not get complacent once the fundamentals are mastered, or too aggressive in trying to help others.
Take, for example, Saturday’s game against Maryland. In addition to all of his other duties, Addae and the defense will have to account for the scrambling ability of quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who not only threw for 1,011 yards in four games in 2020, but also picked up 135 rushing yards (some of which were negated by 91 yards of sacks) and two TDs. His ability to extend plays and drives is a point of concern for the WVU defense, but Addae reiterates that assignment football is still the path to success.
“The most important job is my key,” he said, while intimating that the same exists for each of his defensive teammates. “If my key is the quarterback, then that’s what I need to be looking at. If my key is a receiver, that’s what I need to be looking at. It can be a lot, but that’s why your eyes being in the right place is so important. If you see a lot, you may not see the right thing. So focus on your key, and that is what will help you be successful.”
West Virginia’s defense set that example last year, and Addae is trying to reinforce it in his final season with the Mountaineers. He has some veteran experience alongside him in the secondary in the form of cornerback Nicktroy Fortune, who has 12 starts and 22 games under his belt, and cat safety Sean Mahone, whose 42 games and 22 starts lead the team, but past that it drops away precipitously. Redshirt freshman Daryl Porter has won the other cornerback job, and his first snap against the Terps will be the first of his collegiate career. Jackie Matthews backs him up, but has just 10 games of Division I experience, most of those in a backup role, to call upon.
Redshirt junior Malachi Ruffin, a former walk-on who recently earned a scholarship, showed why with a fall performance that elevated him to backup status behind Fortune, but almost all of his reps have come on special teams. K.J. Martin, with four starts in 12 games in 2019, has a bit more seasoning, but after sitting out 2020, he will still be working to get comfortable behind Mahone after moving down from free safety in his true freshman season.
Addae has also been tutoring backups behind him at free safety, and the early winner there has been Aubrey Burks, a true freshman who has displayed a work ethic beyond his first-year status.
“Aubrey has made a huge impression. From the first day he’s been here he’s been all about his business,” said Addae, who racked up 66 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups in 2020. “He shows up to work every day with a veteran’s mentality. He comes to me with a lot of questions, and he’s not a guy I feel like I have to pull along. He wants to be here and wants to put in the work daily.”
That, like those base assignments, is yet another key to success, and those fundamentals are lessons that the youngsters will have to rely on when the season opens three days from now.
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September 01, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Addae's Assignments Allow For 'A' Performace | WVU | West Virginia Mountaineers sports coverage - Blue Gold News
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