If you go back to the spring and offseason, the talk wasn’t about him.
University of Alabama junior Cyrus Jones had been one of the starters at cornerback on A-Day, but he certainly didn’t have a lock on the position. Sophomore Eddie Jackson had undergone knee surgery, but coaches were optimistic that he could return and contribute at some point in the fall, and standout prospects Tony Brown and Marlon Humphrey were being viewed as the Crimson Tide’s future at the position.
Jones? He was a converted wide receiver who was a terrific alternative to Christion Jones on returns. Not too many fans thought things would click for him in the secondary.
Only it did.
“Cyrus has been our most consistent corner, in my opinion,” Coach Nick Saban has said numerous times this fall. “He’s a lot more confident. He knows what to do. He’s got a lot better discipline in terms of eye control and because of the experience he got playing last year, I think he’s a lot more mature about how he approaches playing because he understands what it takes to play well, how you prepare for a game, how you study the receivers, how you understand our game plan, understand what patterns and blocking schemes they’re going to run in certain formations.
“All those things that we try to teach guys, they don’t first of all have maybe sometimes the kind of appreciation or see the importance in it. But after they play some, they actually see where this could be very beneficial and I think it’s just called competitive maturity.”
When Alabama faces Auburn on Saturday (7:45 p.m. ET, ESPN), the Tigers figure to challenge Jones like just about every other opponent this season. He recently talked about his transition and a number of other subjects:
Coach Saban said you are among the players who have improved most from a year ago. Do you agree with that?
“I just think I matured a lot as a player. I just go about my preparation a lot more vigorously and I’m more comfortable with the playbook. I think anytime you’re comfortable with the playbook it helps you play fast on the field because you’re not really thinking as much. I think the fact I don’t have to think about it as much is definitely helping me.”
How tough was it to switch positions at this level?
“It was pretty difficult at the beginning, just kind of bringing myself back into a defensive mentality. I played defense in high school, so it wasn’t that much of a transition. But definitely coming from offensive side and learning all the plays on defense was the most difficult part.”
How big is confidence to a cornerback?
“Confidence is definitely a big thing for a corner because you’re out there so far from anyone else and you’re in the spotlight against some of the best receivers in the country. I think definitely when you get plays made on you you’ve got to have confidence to say, ‘Okay, I’ll get him next time,’ and keep fighting throughout the game.”
“When did you start to get comfortable and playing faster on defense?”
“I’d say towards the end of spring definitely I felt a lot different and more comfortable with the defense so I definitely was playing faster.”
What is the biggest thing Saban has taught you as cornerback?
“Definitely just using your eyes and looking at the right things. I think a lot of times corner people take their eyes off the wrong things and I think that’s how you get out of position and get behind in certain plays. Definitely eye control.”
So what’s it like having him as your position coach?
“It’s great. You’re definitely learning from a guy who has a lot of knowledge. There’s definitely a lot of pressure to take everything he says and study it and use it in a game.”
In the season opener against West Virginia the defense gave up more than 300 passing yards. What’s he like after something like that?
“Coach Saban is not really a type of guy to jump you when you do something wrong. He’s going to pinpoint where we can get better, where we can improve, but I don’t think he was too upset. We’ve always got room for improvement whether we give up 100 yards or 300 yards. I don’t think he’s ever going to be satisfied, and I don’t think we as a defense should be satisfied either.”
What’s the biggest difference between covering a big player compared to a small, shifty receiver?
“It’s definitely different. A bigger receiver is trying to run by you, using physical ability to box you out and get position on you. Smaller guys, it’s tougher to get a handle on you, so you definitely have to be real focused on your feet and your hands and keep your balance.”
So how do you compensate when you do face a bigger receiver?
“Using the technique that Coach Saban has taught us. Being in the right position. Get a jam on them, slow them up, make them miss-time their routes.”
Did being a wide receiver help you become a cornerback?
“I think playing receiver definitely helps you out if you get moved to the other side of the ball because you know the tendencies of wide receivers and definitely if you watch film of them you get the tendencies even better. So having been a receiver definitely helps you, just knowing releases and things like that.”
When did it click for you in your freshman year that cornerback would be better for you?
“I think in the springtime, coming up here, learning the defense every day, then getting out there in spring practice and showing them what I could do in trying to be a competitor and being open to what Coach Saban saw in me in playing cornerback.”
Did you approach Coach Saban or did he approach you about changing from wide receiver to cornerback?
“He approached me after my freshman year, after the fall. He told me if it was something I wanted to do, and I said, if you think I can help the team, I’ll be fine with it.”
Christopher Walsh has covered Alabama football since 2004 and is the author of 19 books. In his free time, he writes about college football.
