Fall brings defensive back changes

This year’s defensive lineup is returning to normal after a season when many players were forced out of their natural positions.

Injuries to senior safeties Jarrell Drane and Chris Adkins in 2010 forced senior Lenyatta Kiles and sophomore Lawrence Barnett to move to safety last season. The healthy return of Drane and Adkins has allowed both Barnett and Kiles to return to cornerback.

“Naturally, I figured I would come back to corner anyway,” Kiles said. “It’s a comfortable fit. I’m able to make better plays at corner. I feel like it’s just like riding a bike: getting back to where I’m comfortable.”

Drane and Adkins, good friends since coming to IU together in 2007, are making a return to playing form after years plagued by injury.

Adkins missed nine games of his junior season in 2010 after suffering an ankle injury in preseason camp. He also injured his elbow during his sophomore season.

Knee and ankle injuries have prevented Drane from playing a full season since high school, and he said he is impatiently waiting for an opportunity to finally play a full season.

“Every year, I get real close, and then something happens and I go back down,” Drane said. “I’m hungry. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder — more like a block on my shoulder. I’m ready to play.”

A scar on Drane’s forearm from a broken arm in high school marks the first of his major injuries. During the summer of his redshirt freshman season, he tore his left meniscus. In the last days of preseason camp during his redshirt sophomore campaign, he tore a ligament in his thumb while blocking a punt. A repeat tear of his right meniscus last season sidelined him yet again.

His injuries have limited him to 12 games during his IU career. He could double that number this season.

Sophomore cornerback Greg Heban underwent a much different position change during his IU career. Initially a pitcher for the Hoosier baseball team, Heban’s talents became apparent to IU Baseball Coach Tracy Smith during a flag football game the team played.

Smith talked with both Heban and former IU Football Coach Bill Lynch, and Heban ended up playing safety. This season, Wilson and his staff re-evaluated Heban’s talent and moved him to cornerback after they noticed his natural talent and strong work ethic.

“Just trying to transition from baseball to football took a lot of time, took a lot of energy,” Heban said. “But if you love the game, you’ve got to make the commitment to switch.”

The defensive backs has rededicated themselves this season, and it was clear in the first all-out practice when the defense stymied the offense, not allowing a first down.
“We didn’t let up at all,” Drane said. “We weren’t about to have them get a first down that day.”

Drane described the defensive backs as fearless, relentless and hungry this season, knowing that he and his teammates have all returned to their natural positions.

“Just having everybody right where they need to be...feeling comfortable with each other, not having to learn a new position because somebody else got hurt, just means you have to be calm and do what you do,” he said.