Apke vital on special teams, doesn’t worry about fans
Rivera lauds DB for his skill on all-important third phase
Standing in the Washington Football Team’s indoor practice facility, Troy Apke looked unconcerned. A reporter had asked him, during a wide-ranging conversation, what he thought of the intense ire he draws from many fans on social media. Apke struggled at free safety last year — the team benched him twice — and while some commenters took issue with his play, others seemed to zero in on him as a catchall target for any frustrations.
This year, on cutdown day, fans expressed exasperation when Washington kept Apke on its initial 53-man roster, especially over other defenders. But coach Ron Rivera defended Apke, as he had last September, this time pointing out that he’s an elite player on special teams.
In the facility, Apke shrugged. He insisted he wasn’t really aware of his reputation among the fan base, and if it was bad, he didn’t really care.
“I don’t pay attention to that,” he said. “They can think what they think. Everyone has their opinions, man, you know? I love the Troy Apke fans. But if they don’t love me, that’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.”
You really don’t see what fans say? “Not really,” he said. “Unless it’s, like, sent to me, then no, I don’t pay attention to most of it.”
In the past year, Apke added, he has had other things to worry about. This spring, Washington shifted him from safety, where he had played since high school, to cornerback. The new position allows Apke to rely on his elite athleticism, and even though he made regular mistakes in training camp, Rivera noted he has progressed with technique.
Apke, who is sixth on the depth chart, is unlikely to play cornerback in a game. The reason he’s on the roster is special teams.
Rivera called Apke “a luxury” to keep, and he could be considered a specialist — like a kicker or punter.
“If we’re going to be good as a football team, we’ve got to be good on special teams as well,” Rivera said.
Apke can play four spots on special teams: gunner on punt, vice on punt return, front line on kickoff return and safety on kickoff. He excels at gunner, which capitalizes on his 4.34-second 40-yard dash speed and showcases the “play strength” Rivera praised. Apke said when he gets “viced,” or defended by two players outside on a punt, both athletic traits are key for him to release, get down the field and snuff out the return.
Last season, fueled by Pro Bowl punter Tress Way, the unit was elite. Washington allowed 36 punt returns, the league’s fourth-highest total, but was consistent in keeping them short (5.8 yards per, fifthbest) and nonexplosive (the longest return allowed was 17 yards, fourth-best).
“It’s kind of like corner,” Apke said of gunner. “You’re on an island out there, and you’re usually the first person down there, which is why people see that [more than other positions on special teams]. I take a lot of pride in that. I think I’m one of the best to do it.”
The team’s love of Apke predates Rivera’s time in Washington. Rivera and Marty Hurney, the team’s executive vice president of football/player personnel, liked him coming out of Penn State in 2018 when they were leading the Carolina Panthers. Rivera said they targeted Apke in the draft before Washington scooped him up in the fourth round, and once the experiment at free safety didn’t work out, that specialist skill set has allowed Apke to be one of the only five non-starters Rivera has retained from the old regime. Plus, special teams coordinator Nate Kaczor has remained an advocate.
For the foreseeable future, Apke will remain a special teams ace. But Rivera has expressed optimism about his potential for growth at cornerback. Apke said he’s more comfortable at the position and could play it if necessary — and his teammates have been preparing him.
After the switch, some players began calling him “Jason Sehorn,” the longtime New York Giant believed to be the most recent White cornerback to play in the NFL. The comparison to Sehorn, who retired in 2003, wasn’t the first time he had heard references to his race. On the 2018 scouting combine broadcast, Deion Sanders expressed surprise when Apke ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash.
“You know why I’m surprised,” the former star cornerback said to broadcaster Rich Eisen. “I can’t say it on TV. But he can run run.”
In the facility, Apke laughed when asked how he felt about the nickname.
“Yeah, I don’t know,” he said. “They moved me. I had the skill set to play safety, corner, wherever they need me. Whatever they need me here to do, I’ll do. I’m just trying to help this team win.”