Secondary to None

Andy Shalbrack leads the Secondary (CREDIT: Columbia Athletics)


Following all the returning defensive backs and safeties on the Columbia roster may be a tall order for fans at the spring game.

That's because no fewer than 19 of them! Only five of those 19 are rising seniors.

If you think that hefty number means all of Columbia's key starters and backups from 2008 are coming back for 2009, you're right.

For those of you who think getting the same personnel coming back may not be such a great thing, let me remind you that Columbia's pass defense statistics for 2008 were downright misleading.

Last season, Lion opponents averaged a hefty 224 yards passing per game, a 59.2% completion percentage, and an ugly 7.3 yards per pass attempt.

That was compared to just 170 passing yards per game in 2007, and a more decent 6.5 yards per attempt.

But the biggest reason for the weaker pass defense numbers was Columbia's improved defense against the run. Opposing teams were forced to pass a lot more against the Lions, and they also had to take bigger risks.

No one game proved that more than the homecoming loss to Princeton. Ivy League rushing champ Jordan Culbreath was held to just 61 yards rushing on 20 carries, forcing QB Brian Anderson to go long with some passes. Three of those bombs connected and they made the difference in the game.

Considering Columbia started a sophomore at one corner position, Calvin Otis, and a freshman at the other, Kalasi Huggins, the stats don't seem all that bad. And Otis and Huggins played very well and improved as the season went along. They got help from another speedy freshman in A.J. Maddox, who played in all 10 games, hard-hitting fellow frosh Ross Morand, who got into 6 games, and the "old man" of the corner position, rising senior Jared Morine, who played in 8 games.

The real veteran leadership came from rising senior safety Andy Shalbrack, who had another solid season defending the pass and the run. And I thought fellow safety Adam Mehrer, now a rising junior, had a standout sophomore year.

Unlike the linemen positions, age doesn't seem to be as big a factor in the secondary. But you can't count out the other rising seniors in this group, Drew Abeyta, who spent a lot of 2008 injured, Kirk Weller and David Brekke.

A rising junior I have a special eye on is Augie Williams, who has been making a real mark on special teams but has also played well in other situations. Another rising junior who had some good moments in 2008 was Daniel Myers. Rounding out the 2009 juniors are Craig Hamilton, Mike Murphy and Rex Cole.

The other rising sophomores are Neil Schuster, Kurt Williams, Chris Paruch, and Ryan Haslett.

Like I said, it's a crowded bunch and it'll be easy to get confused following all the players in the spring game.

But it's a strong unit overall, and one that I expect will be even better this coming season. The spring game should give us the first signs of that improvement.