Cornerbacks
defensive coordinator – first Marcus Freeman and now Mike Tressel – the confidence to continuously put the two corners in man coverage.
“Obviously, you've got to have some confidence because you are on your own in a lot of situations,” Fickell said. “But also I think the uniqueness of being calm enough. As you really look at Coby, growing from a young guy to a more mature corner, as competitive as he is, you've got to change a little bit as a corner because there are situations where you've got to know when and how.”
Every coach wants their best and most gifted players to also be their hardest workers. The Bearcats have that in Gardner and Bryant.
“The cool thing about those guys is they just go to work,” cornerbacks coach Perry Eliano said. “They're coachable, they're humble and they're open with their mind and their heart, so for me, I'm truly blessed. I know they're talented, but more importantly, they're good, young men.”
At 6 feet 3, Gardner is a matchup nightmare for most receivers. The Detroit native has the length and reach to stand toe-to-toe with anyone and has the speed and athleticism to stay with anyone.
“I always give him the analogy that when I put on the tape, I want to see a guy who's 6-3 playing like he's 5-10,” Eliano said. “So from time to time, I'll say, ‘You know what made Randy Moss so gifted? He was 6-5, but you would have thought he was 5-9 because of how he moved.' So, I said, ‘For you, a guy that's got length – you can't coach length, you can't coach speed – I want to be able to put on the tape and say, ‘You mean to tell me that that guy is moving like that and he's 6-3?' That's when you're really going places. That's when you're really on an elite level.' “
At 6-1, Bryant doesn't have Gardner's length, nor does he have quite the same speed and athleticism. But Bryant more than makes up for it with his physicality, toughness and mental approach.
“He has a tremendous mindset,” Eliano said. “He's the ultimate competitor. He never gets rattled or tight under the bright lights. He lives for those.”
Gardner and Bryant are two of the Bearcats' most intense players. That intensity even boils over – though only occasionally – when they get into heated exchanges with their wide receiver teammates on the opposite side of the ball.
But coaches love that. “They're locked in,” Tressel said. “There was a time earlier in camp when I thought (Gardner) was jawing and getting in a little bit of a fight, maybe losing his mind a little bit. In the middle of the mayhem, he turned to me and says, ‘Don't worry, Coach. I'm good. I got this.' He's always locked in. He's got a way of making people think maybe he's not, but he's always right there.”
And when it's time to really have some fun, both Gardner and Bryant are able to shed that intense layer and be the life of the party.
“I don't know if you would know it or not, but Coby and ‘Sauce' are the main ones in the locker room, pregame – mind you, pregame, I don't really approve of it but whatever – that are jumping around, dancing around, getting hype,” quarterback Desmond Ridder said. “And I'm like, ‘These guys gotta go running with some top wide receivers here. Just take it easy a little bit.' But nah, those are two great players, and they just feed off each other, too.”