Defensive Backs’ Drive Is ‘A Coach’s Dream’
August 22, 2016 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Practice is over. Most of Washington's players are on their way to the cold tubs, looking to cool off and recover after another day of fall camp.
But, on the practice field, one coach and player remain.
The workday wasn't quite over for cornerback Darren Gardenhire. He wanted some extra technique work. He asked Jimmy Lake to stay late.
For the Huskies' defensive backs coach, Gardenhire's request is "a coach's dream."
"These vets, they want to be better," Lake said. "They're always in a constant state of improvement. That's their mindset. I love it when they come up to me after practice because they want to get the details perfect."
So there they were, Gardenhire and Lake, working toward improvement. As Gardenhire backpedaled, Lake mirrored the corner's movements, providing instruction. The camouflaged bucket hat the coach was wearing during practice had blown off his head. It was hanging behind him by a string around his neck.
This is what it's like to be a part of Washington's secondary. With a group long on talent and depth, competition has been baked into foundation of the position group.
"That is the goal," Lake said. "And that's going to be the goal every year that I'm here. We always want to foster competition in the room. It makes everybody better. It pushes everybody to be the best football version of themselves. They're always trying to one up each other. All it's going to do is just breed excellence in our room."
Budda Baker remembers his first season with the Huskies. That year, depth in the secondary was an issue.
Not anymore.
"It's crazy," Baker said. "It seems like just last year I was a freshman and we didn't have any depth. Now we've got a bunch of depth. I can name a lot of guys who could be starters. We're just having a great time.
"You know you can't slack. If you slack, the next guy is up. That's what our approach is."
For Kevin King, extra work has become a part of his daily routine. The senior set an example for his teammates that spread from veterans to freshmen.
"It's awesome to watch," Lake said. "We've got a bunch of competitive, competitive guys in the room. I'm just excited to watch these guys on their journey to become the best version of themselves."
After Gardenhire finished his session with Lake, the coach made his way back to the locker room. Gardenhire kept working. This time, though, it was Gardenhire doing the teaching, helping freshman Myles Bryant fine-tune his technique.
This is what it takes for Saturday success. Washington's defensive backs are working in August so they're ready in September.
"I'm excited to watch these guys let it loose on Sept. 3," Lake said.
