As the last line of defense, ‘safety is about supporting your teammates’

It looks like fun, all that flying around, sticking your head in there and batting down passes.

But playing safety can go south in an instant.

“They’re the last line of defense,” Prospect coach Dan Deboeuf said of the position. “I also think it’s one of the toughest positions in football to play because when you make a mistake, everyone sees it on Friday night.”

Knights senior Joe LoBue agrees and he’s been playing the position for years, the last two as a starting strong safety at Prospect. He likes it because strong safety often plays like a sleeker version of linebacker when teams run the ball. He can clock people.

“I think safety’s just a really hard position, because everyone’s counting on you not to mess up,” he said. “We’ve all got to know our plan and just don’t let anybody back past you.”

Prospect defensive backs coach Jeff Collier played safety at Dixon High School, Quincy College and the University of Illinois. “I was primarily a linebacker who was fast,” he said.

A hybrid look is often how Prospect uses its strong safeties within the base 3-5 defense, with a free safety about 12-15 yards off the line of scrimmage unless hedging in on the blitz or in straight man-to-man defense.

The two strong safeties will guard slot receivers when in man-to-man coverage, and rotate to different spots under other coverages, including acting as a free safety in some zone schemes.

“It depends on if we’re in man or zone, but free, I’m kind of just reading pass first, always backpedaling, no deep man behind you. That’s definitely the key — don’t let anyone behind you,” said junior Caden Moran, in his first varsity season starting at free safety.

Responsibilities change between focusing on stopping the run or the pass depending on the defensive play call Collier gives his defensive backs from the sideline. The free safety takes Collier’s direction and tells his teammates. Defensive coordinator Brock Collins makes the call on blitzes to middle linebacker Jacob Pepsnick.

Whatever the coverage, unless it’s an obvious passing situation, Prospect’s strong safeties are looking to first defend the run. On pass plays they may check the quarterback’s eyes and naturally pick up receivers, but first they look at the other team’s offensive line and react to what they do.

“Yeah, especially in zone. First we have to read run, help the run,” LoBue said.

The free safety provides run support, but Moran generally backpedals until it’s certain the offense is running the ball. Strong safeties don’t have that split-second luxury.

“In zone we’ve got our different kind of ‘tells.’ You’re not really looking at the receiver in front of you, it’s more like the linemen because you’ve got to play the run first, so I’ll be looking at the guard,” said senior two-year starting strong safety Jackson Parrish, a three-sport athlete and team co-captain.

“In man, I’ve just got my guy and that’s all I’m focused on, just locking him down,” said Parrish, who precedes each play by taking a deep breath, in and out, to center himself.

In a safety, Collier is looking for quick, athletic players with great footwork and a solid “football IQ” to read those offensive linemen and receivers’ routes. More so than a cornerback, he’s looking also for aggressive players who enjoy contact — “to fill downhill hard and rally around the ball,” he said.

“I think the toughest thing about playing safety, it’s as much of a mental game as it is physical,” Collier said.

Parrish understands.

“Kind of most important being a safety, being able to see everything means you’ve just got to have a level head throughout the game regardless of what’s going on,” he said.

Linemen and linebackers are focused on action within the “box” between the tackles, he said. Safeties have a wider perspective.

“Really, us seeing the bigger picture, we’ve got to be able to make sure everybody’s on the same page, following the game plan, and be able to relay a clear message of what the coach wants,” Parrish said.

“Looking at ‘Team Within a Team,’” Collier said, “the safety position really is about supporting your teammates and about supporting the entire team with all the things that we ask them to do.”

There’s another critical thing, Moran said.

“Definitely, if a ball comes your way, catch it.”