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Aaron Colvin is rewarding Bob Stoops' faith in him
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 10/16/2010**2:23 AM
Last Modified: 10/16/2010**5:16 AM
NORMAN - Bob Stoops had always talked up Aaron Colvin.
But it wasn't until Colvin backed up Stoops' words two weeks ago versus Texas that anyone comprehended what Stoops meant.
"He came in on as big a stage that you can be on for a true freshman, and he played lights out," said senior safety Jonathan Nelson.
Sixth-ranked OU (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) hosts Iowa State (3-3, 1-1) on Saturday. Against the up-tempo and experienced ISU offense, the play of the Sooners' cornerbacks will be significant.
The Sooners are 24-point favorites, but they've had to withstand a variety of big-play quarterbacks and fourth-quarter comebacks against double-digit underdogs. Iowa State senior QB Austen Arnaud is only slightly different than big-armed, mobile passers like Utah State's Deondre Borel and Cincinnati's Zach Collaros, who directed late rallies that eventually fell short against the Sooners.
"They're similar in that they can extend plays," Nelson said. "We have to make sure we lock up on coverage, because that can be really bad for a secondary when the play is extended."
That's where Colvin comes in. During the preseason, Stoops said Colvin "is as good a player at any position we've recruited here." That's the highest of praise, and from a coach not easily given to superlatives.
Colvin probably won't start on Saturday because junior Jamell Fleming seems to have recovered from the sprained ankle that sent him to the sideline and sent Colvin to the starting lineup in the Cotton Bowl.
But Colvin's performance against the Longhorns adds a new level of trust to a rebuilt defensive backfield that has been shaky.
Fleming and sophomore Demontre Hurst have been the Sooners' best options at cornerback so far this season. Colvin gives them another, and that's reassuring to a coaching staff unaccustomed to seeing such swollen defensive statistics.
"He obviously showed we can rely on him and count on him, so he'll continue to play," Stoops said.
Defensive coordinator Brent Venables said, "we'll continue to work all three of those guys" in some kind of rotation.
Colvin is a naturally gifted athlete and cornerback. At Owasso High School last year, he won a regional championship and posted the state's sixth-best long jump (22 feet, 5 inches).
Before moving from Tennessee to Oklahoma in the fourth grade, he was accomplished in tae kwon do.
"Long jump is a really explosive thing, so when I'm out here, you have to be really explosive off the line, come off and get the ball," Colvin said. "Because receivers know when the ball is coming, but you're off reaction."
And tae kwon do, he said, "teaches you a lot, because there's a lot of patience involved with tae kwon do. You have to hold a lot of movements, and at cornerback, you have to be really patient to decode a receiver. And also, your balance, because you're on one foot a lot."
Nelson, a former full-time cornerback and previously this season the team's third corner in passing situations, says Colvin has it all.
"The No. 1 thing is balance," Nelson said. "The No. 2 thing is feet, more so than even hips. If you have really good feet and you use your feet more than your hands, that'll make you a great corner. And you have to be really good with the ball in the air. ...
"And at the end of it, you also have to be a really good tackler. Those are the things that Aaron has."
Colvin is precociously poised, whether he is on the football field or in the interview room. He credits his father, Bryant, and his mother, Lisa.
"My dad, he's a really cool, calm person. He's a person that'll just sit back and be calm in the weirdest situations," Colvin said. "My mom is the type of person that'll look at a bad situation and make it positive."
Colvin may not be a starter yet, and he may not supplant Fleming or Hurst this season or next. But he's eager to do whatever it takes to improve his cornerback skills, even if it seems unorthodox.
"After the season, I'm gonna try to take some type of ballet class," he said. "I don't know where yet, but I'm gonna try to find one."
Bazinga
Originally Posted by badger
