SB Nation: Top Secondaries of the 2000s

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
Staff member
4. 2010 Nebraska


Prince Amukamara - Cornerback All-American - 1st round
Eric Hagg - Nickel 5 interceptions - 7th round
Rickey Thenarse - Free safety Unit's highest-rated recruit: 4-stars - Undrafted
Austin Cassidy - Strong safety Two-time 1st team Academic All-American - Undrafted
DeJon Gomes - Dime 99 tackles, 3 INTs, 7 breakups as a hybrid LB/S - 5th round
Alfonzo Dennard - Cornerback 2nd cousin of Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard - 7th round

A year after finishing No. 6 in defensive S&P+ with lineman Ndamukong Suh, one of the most dominant defenders in history, Nebraska only slipped to No. 9 without him. These Huskers spent most of their snaps playing dime defense with Gomes hanging around in the box, which led to the dime safety finishing with 99 tackles.

Alpha dog: Amukamara was the major talent. He drew the toughest assignments, and his performance in the pass-happy Big 12 earned him his first-round contract.
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I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.

LCB: Keyuo Craver

Rover: Dion Booker

FS: Willie Amos

RCB: DeJuan Groce / Erwin Swiney

 
NUance said:
I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.

LCB: Keyuo Craver

Rover: Dion Booker

FS: Willie Amos

RCB: DeJuan Groce / Erwin Swiney
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They were not better IMO.

Prince and Fonzie were better corners then Craver or Groce, and all four were light years better than Swiney. Groce and Craver were good, but Prince and Fonzie were amazing. Groce was a darn good punt returner.

Hagg and Gomes were much better than Booker and Amos as well.

 
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Interesting list. Did they not go with the 2009 unit, because they somehow thought that Suh's presence was a knock on the secondary?

 
Red Five said:
NUance said:
I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.

LCB: Keyuo Craver

Rover: Dion Booker

FS: Willie Amos

RCB: DeJuan Groce / Erwin Swiney
Click to expand...
They were not better IMO.

Prince and Fonzie were better corners then Craver or Groce, and all four were light years better than Swiney. Groce and Craver were good, but Prince and Fonzie were amazing. Groce was a darn good punt returner.

Hagg and Gomes were much better than Booker and Amos as well.
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Yeah, Hagg and Gomes were both way underrated. They were better than Booker and Amos. Although Willie Amos got injured early on in his Husker career. Never was the same again. He might have been great if he hadn't blown is knee out.

Craver, Groce, Swiney, Amukamara and Dennard are among the best CBs we've had in, like, forever. All five played Sundays. Craver, Groce and Swiney each played three or four years in the NFL. One of them (was it Craver?) would've played longer except for the wacky weed. Also, people might not remember this, but Dennard was injured in 2010 and missed a couple of games. True Frosh Ciante Evans played most of the snaps in those two conf games. So I think Craver and Groce (with Swiney as back-up) were just as good in coverage in 2001 as Amukamara and Dennard were in 2010. /IMHO

 
NUance said:
Red Five said:
NUance said:
I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.

LCB: Keyuo Craver

Rover: Dion Booker

FS: Willie Amos

RCB: DeJuan Groce / Erwin Swiney
Click to expand...
They were not better IMO.

Prince and Fonzie were better corners then Craver or Groce, and all four were light years better than Swiney. Groce and Craver were good, but Prince and Fonzie were amazing. Groce was a darn good punt returner.

Hagg and Gomes were much better than Booker and Amos as well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Hagg and Gomes were both way underrated. They were better than Booker and Amos. Although Willie Amos got injured early on in his Husker career. Never was the same again. He might have been great if he hadn't blown is knee out.

Craver, Groce, Swiney, Amukamara and Dennard are among the best CBs we've had in, like, forever. All five played Sundays. Craver, Groce and Swiney each played three or four years in the NFL. One of them (was it Craver?) would've played longer except for the wacky weed. Also, people might not remember this, but Dennard was injured in 2010 and missed a couple of games. True Frosh Ciante Evans played most of the snaps in those two conf games. So I think Craver and Groce (with Swiney as back-up) were just as good in coverage in 2001 as Amukamara and Dennard were in 2010. /IMHO
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Swiney never had was an honorable mention all Big 12 according to his huskers bio. He doesn't deserve to be in the conversation with the other 4.

Looking at the other 4, Groce seems to be lacking as his best CB awards are 2nd team all Big 12. The others were all at least a 1st team all Big 12 or a 2nd team all American.

Craver

2000 - honorable mention all big 12

2001 - 1st team big 12, 1st team all American, Thorpe semifinalist

Groce (CB awards only)

2001 - honorable mention all big 12

2002 - 2nd team all big 12, 4th team all American

Prince

2009 - 2nd team all big 12

2010 - 1st team all big 12, 1st team all American, big 12 defensive player of the year, Thorpe finalist

Fonzie

2010 - 2nd team all big 12

2011 - 1st team all big 10, 2nd team all American

 
Red Five said:
NUance said:
Red Five said:
NUance said:
I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.

LCB: Keyuo Craver

Rover: Dion Booker

FS: Willie Amos

RCB: DeJuan Groce / Erwin Swiney
Click to expand...
They were not better IMO.

Prince and Fonzie were better corners then Craver or Groce, and all four were light years better than Swiney. Groce and Craver were good, but Prince and Fonzie were amazing. Groce was a darn good punt returner.

Hagg and Gomes were much better than Booker and Amos as well.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Hagg and Gomes were both way underrated. They were better than Booker and Amos. Although Willie Amos got injured early on in his Husker career. Never was the same again. He might have been great if he hadn't blown is knee out.

Craver, Groce, Swiney, Amukamara and Dennard are among the best CBs we've had in, like, forever. All five played Sundays. Craver, Groce and Swiney each played three or four years in the NFL. One of them (was it Craver?) would've played longer except for the wacky weed. Also, people might not remember this, but Dennard was injured in 2010 and missed a couple of games. True Frosh Ciante Evans played most of the snaps in those two conf games. So I think Craver and Groce (with Swiney as back-up) were just as good in coverage in 2001 as Amukamara and Dennard were in 2010. /IMHO
Click to expand...
Swiney never had was an honorable mention all Big 12 according to his huskers bio. He doesn't deserve to be in the conversation with the other 4.

Looking at the other 4, Groce seems to be lacking as his best CB awards are 2nd team all Big 12. The others were all at least a 1st team all Big 12 or a 2nd team all American.

Craver

2000 - honorable mention all big 12

2001 - 1st team big 12, 1st team all American, Thorpe semifinalist

Groce (CB awards only)

2001 - honorable mention all big 12

2002 - 2nd team all big 12, 4th team all American

Prince

2009 - 2nd team all big 12

2010 - 1st team all big 12, 1st team all American, big 12 defensive player of the year, Thorpe finalist

Fonzie

2010 - 2nd team all big 12

2011 - 1st team all big 10, 2nd team all American
Click to expand...

Craver 2001 - 1st team big 12, 1st team all American, Thorpe semifinalist
Groce 2001 - honorable mention all big 12

Prince 2010 - 1st team all big 12, 1st team all American, big 12 defensive player of the year, Thorpe finalist
Fonzie 2010 - 2nd team all big 12


Without looking up who the other CBs were in the B-12 back then, wouldn't you say these awards are pretty similar?

I think I'll stick to what I originally said: I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.
 
I'm still reeling from someone describing Erwin Swiney as one of the best CB's at NU in a long time. Like, do people watch the games?

 
Back in Swiney's playing days, he barely should have been starting, let alone being mentioned among the best of the decade. How he got on an NFL squad who knows.

 
Swiney was fast....very fast. That's how he kept his job and that's what got him a gig in the NFL. The hope is that you can always improve technique, but with speed, you got what you got.

Look (and believe me I am in NO WAY comparing the two), but Deon Sanders was never a good DB. He was just so incredibly fast that it made up for his lack of technique.

 
Lyons in the Sea of Red. said:
No one probably agrees, but I still think Fonzie was the best of the bunch. He had more edge than Prince, which showed on the field.
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Fonzie was a stud, but I think Prince was the best.

NUance said:
I think the backfield we had in 2001 was just as good. Maybe better.

LCB: Keyuo Craver

Rover: Dion Booker

FS: Willie Amos

RCB: DeJuan Groce / Erwin Swiney
Click to expand...
Craver was a freaking beast!

 
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