Starters readily do their parts on special teams
MADISON – When Wisconsin’s kickoff-coverage unit took the field against Utah State to open the 2017 season, more than one-third of the 11-man unit was made up of defensive starters.
The quartet: safeties Natrell Jamerson, D’Cota Dixon and outside linebackers Leon Jacobs and Garret Dooley.
UW’s first play of the 2017 season reaffirmed that head coach Paul Chryst views special teams as critical to a team’s success.
If key members of your offense and/ or defense can bolster a unit, use them.
“I learned about the importance of special teams before I got into coaching,” Chryst explained. “I was around games a lot. And my dad coached special teams. I paid attention to what he said.”
Jamerson has been a key contributor on special teams since his freshman sea-
son in 2014.
“I love special teams,” said Jamerson, in his first season at safety. “I’ve been doing it every year since I’ve been here.”
Jamerson was UW’s No. 1 kickoff-return man in 2015 and had a 98-yard touchdown return in a victory at Maryland. He opened last season as the No. 1 returner on kickoffs but lost the job because of missing six games (leg).
Jamerson and cornerback Derrick Tindal are the gunners on punt coverage this season. Dixon and Dooley also are on the punt-coverage unit.
“Of course, everybody wants to start on offense or defense,” Jamerson explained. “But I tell the young guys that to start on special teams is another way to get on the field. Special teams is just as important as offense or defense. We need everybody on special teams.
“If you can contribute on special teams, that is great. I push for every guy to do it.”
So does defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who returned punts as UW’s starting safety during his playing days. Leonhard left UW with 1,347 punt-return yards, at the time the Big Ten record.
“I was brought up (on) how important special teams is,” Leonhard said. “It wins games. It is a third of the game. It is an opportunity to change games. I always loved that
aspect of it.”
Leonhard contributed on special teams as a freshman in 2001 and then recorded 11 interceptions and 25 passes broken up as a sophomore en route to being named an All-American.
“I never would have been the player I was as a sophomore if I didn’t play as a freshman,” Leonhard said.
“That’s what mentally gave me the confidence going into the next year."
Chryst showed in his first season as UW’s head
coach he was willing to put key players on special teams.
Linebackers Joe Schobert, Jack Cichy and Vince Biegel and safety Michael Caputo covered punts.
Schobert had a 57-yard gain on a fake punt to set up UW’s second touchdown in the victory over Maryland.
But what about the additional exposure to potential injury?
“I don’t look at it like you have an extra risk of getting hurt,” Jamerson
said. “You have the same risks on offense and defense. Special teams is part of the game.
“You’ve just got to go out and contribute to the team however you are asked and do it to the best of your ability.”
Jacobs, who worked on the kickoff-return unit along with fullback Austin Ramesh in Week 2, offered a similar response in fewer words.
“Why would you not want to play more football?” he asked. “You know what I mean?”