Washington Football coach Jimmy Lake turns prospects into defensive backs

Washington Football defensive back coach Jimmy Lake continues to turn raw prospects into stymieing defensive backs.

Washington Football defensive coach Jimmy Lake is one of the hottest young coaches in the NCAA. You see, he has a knack of coaching up college prospects into effective and proficient defensive backs.

A quick recap is in order. The 2016 Washington Football team included the likes of safety Budda Baker, and cornerbacks Kevin King and Sidney Jones IV.  All three were selected in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.  Never have three rookies been selected in the NFL Draft separated by 11 selections.

While that was excellent for the players, it certainly had an adverse effect on the team‘s ability to defend the pass this year. Or did it?

Reload on the fly

Even without three returning playmakers, the team seems to reload at will and on the fly. That is a testimony to the quality of both prospects and coaching staff of the Washington Football team.  After losing three defensive backs to the NFL, the team had to promote three new starters. And they did just that.  Safety Taylor Rapp joined JoJo McIntosh, and cornerbacks Jordan Miller lined up with freshman Byron Murphy.  Nobody knew how the group would respond.

Well, almost nobody. Coach Lake was as confident as ever.

The team began the season with freshman Byron Murphy at cornerback. He opened up the season with two interceptions. In three games, he had amassed two interceptions, three tackles, and three passes defended. Then he fell to injury with a broken foot just as the team prepared to face Pac-12 rival Colorado.

Jimmy Lake can coach defensive backs

So the team shuffled the deck once more.  To face Colorado, the team sent Myles Bryant to play opposite Jordan Miller at cornerback.  Once more, the results were incredibly impressive. Jordan Miller picked off two passes, while Myles Bryant picked off another and ran it in for a touchdown.

Now the team must face a new opponent.

Air defense

And the team is set once more to defend the skies.

It’s not simply one player. It’s player after player. Each one steps up and plays better than the brochure. It’s a pattern that is too uncanny for random chance. It’s the coach. Plain and simple.

Confidence is infectious

On one hand, it’s not an overstatement to say that the Washington Football team defensive backs are confident. That is not by accident. Rather, confidence is earned by drilling and competing under the direction of Coach Lake. When he is satisfied, then he knows the players are ready to play. On the other hand, these defensive backs step onto the field knowing that they are just that – ready to play.

Just check out this interview with Lake over the Colorado game by Scout.com’s Chris Fetters:

Some time at the Lake

"How did Austin Joyner grade out taking over for Byron Murphy? “He played excellent, (Joyner) he played excellent. He didn’t have any busts. (Joyner) He played hard, he had probably the biggest hit of the night on that scramble play when (Shay Fields) caught the ball and he hit him. He was in position. Extremely, extremely proud of him.” How impressive is it for a guy like that to come out and perform like that on the road? “That’s what we expect, not just in the defensive backs. Coach Petersen talks about it all the time at any position. We lose a great guy like David Ajamu and another tight end has to step in and they have. Last year we lost Azeem (Victor), DJ Beavers comes in and we don’t miss a step. We lose Byron Murphy for a little while and Austin comes in and he’s ready to role. It’s going to happen again. It’s going to happen this week, we might lose a guy, we might have lost a guy today and you guys will find out about it hopefully right before game time and not the night before this time.”"

You simply cannot overemphasize the fact that the coach is so certain of his players. Winners breed winning. Confidence breeds confidence.

On one hand, there is no magical incantation with the Washington Football team. On the other hand, there is neither a potion, lotion, nor elixir.  In fact, there is not even a supercomputer diagnosing the most effective training methods.  There is a man who is quite confident in his ability to teach young men how to defend the pass. He is so confident, that those same young men believe in themselves as a result.

And that’s how it’s done. Trust and faith.