Gerry a More Natural Fit at Safety

[Mavric]

Nathan Gerry often felt overmatched last season, and you can’t blame him. He was a freshman linebacker playing at just a couple meals over 200 pounds and was asked, play after play, to challenge players more than 100 pounds heavier.

 

Former Cornhuskers secondary coach Terry Joseph suggested that he would steal Gerry this offseason, labeling him John Lynch as an homage to the ex-All Pro safety.

 

Tuns out, they were thinking the same thing.

 

“I feel like it’s more natural to me,” Gerry said after three practices this spring in the secondary.

 

He’s part of a revamped backfield under new secondary coach Charlton Warren, who came to Lincoln after nine seasons at Air Force. Gerry and fellow sophomore LeRoy Alexander have manned the safety spots this month in the absence of senior Corey Cooper, out with a foot injury.

 

They form the leading line of a youthful but athletic group of safeties that includes redshirt freshmen Drake Martinez and D.J. Singleton. Early enrollee junior college transfer Byerson Cockrell and fellow junior Charles Jackson, a reserve safety last season, have played primarily at the nickel position managed well by Ciante Evans in 2013.

ESPN

 

 

I really like him at Safety. I'm glad he got on the field last year and played pretty well overall at LB. Made some mistakes but he can close in a hurry. We've really been lacking difference makers at Safety the last few years. Cooper is solid but I think the combination of Gerry and Alexander can really be special.