LEARNING TO BE A BANDIT
August 24, 2011 11:13 AM | General
Shaq Petteway fits perfectly what defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel looks for in his safeties – a player with nice size who can run, run and run some more.
“They told me I fit the defense with my size,” Petteway said last week. “They told me I had a great body for the defense and I could play multiple positions.”
If Petteway remains close to where he is at right now (6-foot, 200 pounds) he will stick at bandit safety. If he puts on 20-25 pounds down the road then he moves to willie linebacker. That’s the beauty of Casteel’s 3-3-5 stack defense - there is always room for athletes of any size, shape or build in his system as long as they are aggressive and they can run, which happens to be a pretty good description of Petteway.
“I can run and that was one of the things they liked about me,” Petteway said. “I was big enough to take the run on and fast enough to cover the side receivers in open space.”
Casteel loved what Petteway did as a linebacker at Steubenville High, a perennial Ohio power, and he convinced Petteway that WVU was the right place for him to play college football.
“Coach Casteel said he is going to use me in blitzing situations because he liked the way I blitzed in high school,” Petteway said.
Petteway’s other main suitor was Michigan State, which plays a more traditional defensive scheme.
“I chose West Virginia because I thought I fit this scheme a lot more than the other schools that were recruiting me,” Petteway said. “I also felt I could get on the field a lot faster here and that has proven to be the right choice. I am glad with my choice of West Virginia.”
Petteway got some work early in camp with the ones at bandit safety when sophomore Darwin Cook was sidelined and he may or may not get redshirted this year, depending on how much he progresses and how healthy the safety corps remains.
“I’ve just got to work to prove that I can play. Nothing is given here,” Petteway said.
Shaq is also a strong possibility for special teams, particularly the punt and kickoff teams, because of his speed and willingness to run into people. He said he’s been hanging around the special teams meetings in an effort to get on the field anyway he can.
Right now, he’s like most freshmen, clear one day and cloudy the next. Casteel will not put him on the field unless he’s reasonably certain Petteway can go out there and do the disguising that needs to be done by the safeties and not blow up the defense. Shaq admits that is still a work in progress after just three weeks of practice.
“We do a lot of disguising, but right now I’m just worried about getting myself lined up,” he said. “I’m a freshman and I’m over thinking everything, but I’m working on my disguising.”
He said he is also working on getting used to playing safety. Petteway admits he’s still an old linebacker at heart.
“It’s growing on me. I’m starting to feel a little more confident,” he said.
Helping Petteway along are the team’s veteran players, especially senior corner Keith Tandy.
“I’ve got great players around me who are teachers. Keith Tandy is the father of the defense, so anybody who is young he is willing to help and show them around,” Petteway said. “Having the players around me who are willing to teach has made it easier for me to learn.”
Plus, playing bandit safety in this defense requires a lot of learning, from playing the run in some situations to covering scat-backs and tight ends out in space in other situations. It’s a lot to place on the plate of such a young player.
“Playing safety here in the 3-3-5 you are asked to do a lot,” Petteway admitted. “You’ve got to come down and play the run and still be big enough to take on some offensive linemen at times. You still have to be versatile enough to play the pass and sometimes be the last resort on the pass, or the run. Safety is a big part of this defense.”
Perhaps one day soon Shaq Petteway will also be a big part of West Virginia’s defense.
“They told me I fit the defense with my size,” Petteway said last week. “They told me I had a great body for the defense and I could play multiple positions.”
If Petteway remains close to where he is at right now (6-foot, 200 pounds) he will stick at bandit safety. If he puts on 20-25 pounds down the road then he moves to willie linebacker. That’s the beauty of Casteel’s 3-3-5 stack defense - there is always room for athletes of any size, shape or build in his system as long as they are aggressive and they can run, which happens to be a pretty good description of Petteway.
“I can run and that was one of the things they liked about me,” Petteway said. “I was big enough to take the run on and fast enough to cover the side receivers in open space.”
Casteel loved what Petteway did as a linebacker at Steubenville High, a perennial Ohio power, and he convinced Petteway that WVU was the right place for him to play college football.
“Coach Casteel said he is going to use me in blitzing situations because he liked the way I blitzed in high school,” Petteway said.
Petteway’s other main suitor was Michigan State, which plays a more traditional defensive scheme.
“I chose West Virginia because I thought I fit this scheme a lot more than the other schools that were recruiting me,” Petteway said. “I also felt I could get on the field a lot faster here and that has proven to be the right choice. I am glad with my choice of West Virginia.”
Petteway got some work early in camp with the ones at bandit safety when sophomore Darwin Cook was sidelined and he may or may not get redshirted this year, depending on how much he progresses and how healthy the safety corps remains.
“I’ve just got to work to prove that I can play. Nothing is given here,” Petteway said.
Shaq is also a strong possibility for special teams, particularly the punt and kickoff teams, because of his speed and willingness to run into people. He said he’s been hanging around the special teams meetings in an effort to get on the field anyway he can.
Right now, he’s like most freshmen, clear one day and cloudy the next. Casteel will not put him on the field unless he’s reasonably certain Petteway can go out there and do the disguising that needs to be done by the safeties and not blow up the defense. Shaq admits that is still a work in progress after just three weeks of practice.
“We do a lot of disguising, but right now I’m just worried about getting myself lined up,” he said. “I’m a freshman and I’m over thinking everything, but I’m working on my disguising.”
He said he is also working on getting used to playing safety. Petteway admits he’s still an old linebacker at heart.
“It’s growing on me. I’m starting to feel a little more confident,” he said.
Helping Petteway along are the team’s veteran players, especially senior corner Keith Tandy.
“I’ve got great players around me who are teachers. Keith Tandy is the father of the defense, so anybody who is young he is willing to help and show them around,” Petteway said. “Having the players around me who are willing to teach has made it easier for me to learn.”
Plus, playing bandit safety in this defense requires a lot of learning, from playing the run in some situations to covering scat-backs and tight ends out in space in other situations. It’s a lot to place on the plate of such a young player.
“Playing safety here in the 3-3-5 you are asked to do a lot,” Petteway admitted. “You’ve got to come down and play the run and still be big enough to take on some offensive linemen at times. You still have to be versatile enough to play the pass and sometimes be the last resort on the pass, or the run. Safety is a big part of this defense.”
Perhaps one day soon Shaq Petteway will also be a big part of West Virginia’s defense.
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