Big Shoes to Fill
April 11, 2005 01:38 PM | General
April 12, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Alton, or rather Dee McCann has some pretty big shoes to fill this fall. The senior will be taking Pac-Man Jones’ place in the West Virginia University secondary when WVU opens its season against Syracuse in September.
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| Senior cornerback Dee McCann has some pretty big shoes to fill taking Pac-Man Jones' spot in the secondary.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Of course Pac-Man wasn’t just another Jones for the Mountaineers. He led West Virginia in tackles last year with 76, picked off three passes, broke up seven passes and had a pair of sacks to parlay that into a possible first-round selection in this spring’s NFL draft.
A strong argument could be made that Pac-Man is the best corner to ever lace up a pair of Nikes for WVU. At worst he is among the top two or three. Following Jones’ legacy is what McCann must contend with this fall. The senior says it’s more a blessing than a curse.
“It’s a blessing,” he said. “He was a hard worker and even though he was little he had heart. I’ve got heart too and I just want to come in and play every day and go on through the season.”
McCann is much bigger than Jones (6-feet and 200 pounds to Jones’ 5-foot-9-inch, 175-pound frame) and his spring test numbers were very similar to Pac-Man’s, including his forty time.
“I’m bigger but my speed is about the same as his,” McCann said.
Of course the real test will come this fall when McCann is asked to play every down instead of just being a fill in. McCann wasn’t in great shape when he arrived last fall and had to gradually work himself into playing condition. Injuries and a lack of depth in the secondary forced McCann to expedite his fitness regimen. He got his first action at Virginia Tech and made his biggest impact at Rutgers. McCann can easily recite both games from memory.
“My first game I played against Virginia Tech and I felt good going in. Coach thought I was like scared or something but I was ready to play,” he said. “I felt more comfortable and relaxed and just did what I had to do. I made two tackles against Virginia Tech and the Rutgers game I got MVP for the defense. I had an interception, two forced fumbles, eight tackles and one fumble recovery.”
McCann says the speed of the game wasn’t a problem against Virginia Tech. Practicing against a no-huddle spread offense every day tends to slow things down on Saturdays.
“I think practice was faster than the game really,” McCann said. “Coach Rod has a fast tempo in practice by the time we got to the game we were ready for it.”
McCann paid close attention to Jones and offers this evaluation: “He competes and I try and compete every day. He never backed down even though he trash talked. I try to talk to a little trash but I don’t really have it in me. I’m just humble, play my game and make things happen.”
Ironically, McCann came to WVU from Jones Junior College in Mississippi where he played both spur and bandit in a 3-3-5 stack defense very similar to West Virginia’s. In effect McCann was really a hybrid linebacker covering the flats and providing run support much like the extra safety in defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel’s scheme at WVU.
“There are more plays and techniques here,” McCann is quick to point out.
Because he is relatively new to the boundary corner position, McCann still has some fundamental issues to iron out – mainly defending the deep ball in one-on-one situations. Last year he was beat a couple of times by simply mistiming his jump.
“I’ve got to get better at getting the ball at its highest point,” McCann said.
McCann says he knows the defense pretty well and relies on senior Jahmile Addae to get him in the right defense when he’s not sure.
“Jahmile is the defensive leader,” McCann said. “He’s calling the plays and the formations and I feel more comfortable with him back there. Every time I look over he’ll give me the signal and let me know what I’ve got to do – what the call is.”
As for McCann’s first name – Alton or Dee, he offers this explanation: “When I first came they asked me what I’d rather be called and I said Dee. I told Miss Shelly (Poe) I wanted to be called Dee so they put me on the depth chart that way. They asked me where the Dee came from and I told them my middle name started with D.”
The D could also be for determined. McCann is dead set on making sure there isn’t a big drop off when he takes the field for the first time as a starter facing an experienced and talented Syracuse team in the 2005 opener.
“We’re going to be real comparable and better,” he said. “We lost Pac-Man and that’s a lot right there. I’m filling in his shoes and I want to be better and I think I can.
“Hopefully I’ll be one of the top cornerbacks next year and go into the NFL draft,” he added.
