SFA Fall Camp Report - Cornerbacks
8/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – It’s not the deepest or most experienced position on the field for Stephen F. Austin as the Lumberjacks are in the midst of fall camp. But it very well could be one of the key spots if SFA is going to live up to its preseason expectations.
The Lumberjack cornerbacks boast one of the youngest groups heading into the 2015 season as senior Demundre Freeman and junior Hipolito Corporan are the only two that have taken the field for SFA. Freeman, the elder statesmen of the corners, has played in 34 games for the Lumberjacks, recording 78 tackles, including a career-best 28 in 2014. Corporan saw action in all 13 games in his first season for SFA after transferring from Utah, posting three starts for the ‘Jacks.
The remainder of the position is comprised of a talented but inexperienced group that have all had opportunities to make a fall camp statement. Transfer Tre Rosser is beginning to settle into the SFA defensive schemes as the all-conference junior has taken significant snaps with the first team defense, recording a number of interceptions through the first 10 practices of 2015.
Camp has also been a time for redshirt freshmen Calvin Lewis and Tarrin Mitchell to show how far they’ve come since arriving in Nacogdoches last summer. The duo continues to show their understanding of the defense, earning significant reps with both the first and second team in various situations and making timely plays against the experienced Lumberjack wide receivers. True freshmen Ken Rogers and Nick Bailey have also had opportunities to show their talent as well.
With the Lumberjack receiving corps earning a reputation as one of the best in the Southland Conference, it has provided both a challenge and an opportunity for the SFA cornerbacks as they see it as a prime training session for their matchups against the talented receivers waiting in the conference schedule.
“It has been a great learning opportunity because some days, (the wide receivers) get the better of us, and you’ve got to be mature enough to watch it on film and see what we’re doing wrong, and then correct it for the next day,” said coach Terry Mills. “You look across this conference, we’ve got some big time receivers that we’re going to see on a weekly basis this fall. The receiving group we have, I feel, is right up there with the best in the league, and going up against them every day is only going to make us better.”
Playing with a renewed energy after a relaxing evening at the SFA campus pool Tuesday night, SFA’s corners had a strong showing in practice number 10 Wednesday afternoon, getting underway at 3:45 on the grass practice fields. With an early camp injury to Rodney Veasey and limited action for Rogers and Bailey as they continue to get up to speed, the group of five comprised of Freeman, Corporan, Rosser, Lewis and Mitchell continued to rotate across the field, highlighted by some impressive pass breakups in one-on-one drills.
Thursday marks the second two-a-day practice schedule for the Lumberjacks as SFA will take to the practice field at 9:15 a.m., then again at 3:45 p.m. It should prove to be two of the more intense practices before the Lumberjacks take to the turf at Homer Bryce Stadium for the first scrimmage of fall camp, getting underway Saturday at 4 p.m.
Q&A with Cornerbacks Coach Terry Mills
On where the cornerbacks have grown the most during fall camp:
“Mostly, for me, the progress has come on the schemes and really embracing the competitive part of it all. The guys have adjusted well to the different types of schemes we’re working in and they’re rising to the occasion. We’ve got some good receivers on the other side and they’ve been able to keep those guys in check at times. The maturity level, both on and off the field, with everything they do has also improved. We’re not perfect. We know we’ve got a ways to go but I’ve been pleased with the maturity; the taking notes, learning the details of the game; doing those little things that puts them in the situation to be successful.”
On the leadership role of Demundre Freeman and Hipolito Corporan:
“Obviously they are the only ones that have game experience among the cornerbacks and things are coming a little more natural to them. They’ve been able to use that experience to help our young guys and get them up to speed. We have a junior college transfer in Tre Rosser, and they have really taken him under their wing to show them the details and schematics of our system, and he’s come a long way since he got here. They’ve done a good job of being mentors to our two redshirt freshmen in Calvin Lewis and Tarrin Mitchell as well. I couldn’t ask for two better coaches on the field. In between plays or in breaks, they are the ones that are coaching up the young guys and going over positioning and leverage and what to expect with the offensive play.”
On how the redshirt season benefitted both Calvin Lewis and Tarrin Mitchell:
“I definitely think it humbled them a lot. Those guys want to work for what they have. We talked about Demundre and Hipolito with the game time experience, but I have confidence in those two guys as well and with the work they’ve put in for the last year, they will make an impact on this team. They know if something happens and their number is called, I feel comfortable they’ll embrace taking on the challenge.”
On facing a deep and talented wide receiving group every day in practice:
“It has helped us incredibly. Those guys continue to make us better every day, and I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Coach Odems has them ready to go every day, and they make sure to keep us on our game every play. But it has been a great learning opportunity because some days, they get the better of us, and you’ve got to be mature enough to watch it on film and see what we’re doing wrong, and then correct it for the next day. I like to think of my guys as blue collar workers. They put on that hard hat every day and get down to it each practice, and they know if they don’t come and be detailed about what they’re doing and come ready to face the challenge, it will be a long day. It only helps us to get better. You look across this conference, we’ve got some big time receivers that we’re going to see on a weekly basis this fall. The receiving group we have, I feel, is right up there with the best in the league, and going up against them every day is only going to make us better.”
-SFA-
