Trowell: "We Have Great Potential"
Like Johnathan Alston a year earlier, senior Maurice Trowell made the move from receiver to cornerback during the spring in the hopes of adding much-needed depth in the defensive backfield.
Inside Pack Sports talked with Trowell recently about how that transition is progressing and his outlook for the defense as a whole in 2018.
How has the transition gone from wide receiver to cornerback?
It’s been good. I moved in the spring and ever since then I’ve perfecting my craft and learning what my coaches and brothers have been telling me to do and I feel like I’ve been doing pretty good.
What are some of the main adjustments you had to make flipping over to the other side of the ball?
Definitely just backpedaling, reading the receivers, learning different technique, learning how to tackle. I think my athleticism has helped me a lot.
We saw Johnathan Alston do something very similar last year. Did you pick up anything from him with the adjustments he had to make?
Oh, definitely. I was a scout team receiver last year and I went up against Johnathan and learned a lot of things- stuff he did. I feel like me and him were kind of in the same boat so I definitely feel like I learned some things like technique and stuff.
How much do you think your speed helps you with the growth you’re going through right now?
Speed is a big part for me. I feel like the speed I’ve got, I’ll have good makeup speed and I’ll be able to catch up to the receivers.
You’re facing one of the best receiving corps in the nation every day. How much is that helping you improve?
It makes me ten times better. I was in that receiver room and I know how hard those guys work and I feel like going up against those guys every day makes us ten times better. We just try to come out and match their intensity every day. We know they’re a good group.
You are a teammate with Kelvin Harmon. How difficult is it to guard him?
Kelvin’s pretty tough. He’s got speed. He’s got power. I’ve seen him grow more mature over the years with his route running and I think he’s one of the best in the country.
How important are these first four games going to be for the entire defense?
It’s definitely going to be important. We just have to take every game one by one and we’ll definitely have guys step up and make plays in key areas but every game is going to be important.
What kind of potential does this defense have?
We have great potential. Coach Huxtable tells us everyday this defense can be as good as we want to be as long as don’t beat ourselves and do everything right.