Former NFL CB compares Steelers Jalen Ramsey to HOF corner
But maybe that's not such a bad thing, if your career trajectory is being compared to a similar player who made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In a recent interview, former NFL cornerback Antrel Rolle talked about Ramsey's situation with the Steelers and compared him to former NFL defensive back Charles Woodson. Woodson had an elite career and successfully went from cornerback to safety and excelled at both. Rolle also made a very successful transition from corner to safety and understands what it takes.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Rolle comparing Ramsey to Woodson
'Jalen is a unique talent. I've always felt like he could be your Swiss army knife type of guy. You can play him in the slot, you can play him at corner, play him at safety, in dime. And he's aggressive enough that he can get all those jobs done extremely well. He reminds me of Charles Woodson, with the body stature, the coverage ability, and they're not afraid to go in there and get their hands dirty. Most importantly, he has that competitive dog in him. Corner is a different type of dog, safety is a different type of dog.
'To be a hybrid player, it takes a different mental capacity, as far as understanding the playbook, understanding what the front is doing, what the linebackers are doing, et cetera. That's the part people don't understand – when you move from that island to the box, or back at safety, you have to be aware of what everyone on that defense is doing.'
Rolle on his advice to Ramsey
'The first piece of advice is to always work the craft that you had before. Still work on that corner craft, because it's going to make you that much better as a player, that much more versatile. When I made the transition to safety, yeah, I grew a different mentality, but in my heart I stayed a corner. If I stayed a corner, when I was lined up on the Wes Welkers, the Calvin Johnsons, my mentality never switched. I was just a more physical corner now.'
Rolle on Ramsey being more involved defensively at safety
'Now you have to know, if that three-technique is stunting to the 'B' or the 'A' gap, this hole may open up. If they pull, you've got to cancel out a gap. That's a totally different vocabulary than what we learned out there on the island. It's very basic. There's not too much you need to know out there on an island. But once you come into that core, you have to know what you're doing.'
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