Woelk: Oliver Is Latest Buffs DB To Blossom In Boulder

BOULDER — Despite what the numbers might suggest, there is no secret sauce being administered to University of Colorado defensive backs, no magic bullet that allows Buffs DBs to seamlessly make the transition from Saturdays to Sundays.

Rather, it is the opposite. It is fundamentals that make the difference. Learning the game, learning the position, learning the basics — and practicing those basics until they become second nature.

Colorado's Isaiah Oliver, selected in the second round of Friday night's NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, is the latest example.

Three years ago, Oliver was a relatively lightly recruited athlete out of Goodyear, Ariz., who received only nominal attention from Power 5 schools. But CU head coach Mike MacIntyre and his staff (beginning with assistant Gary Bernardi, who "discovered" Oliver) saw something in Oliver that other schools missed.

They saw a great athlete with all the "measurables," as well as the intangibles — the character, work ethic and discipline — required to become an elite-level player.

That is, of course, exactly what Oliver became at Colorado.

Now, Oliver is the fourth Buffs DB to be drafted in the last two years, following in the footsteps of former teammates Chidobe Awuzie (Cowboys), Ahkello Witherspoon (49ers) and Tedric Thompson (Seahawks), each of whom spent last fall collecting NFL paychecks.

More evidence of Colorado's secondary success? Throw another of Oliver's former teammates, Ken Crawley, into the mix. Crawley, a senior when Oliver was a freshman at Colorado, signed a free agent contract with the Saints after the 2016 draft and is now a starter in New Orleans.

The common thread is MacIntyre. I have said it before, but it is worth repeating: MacIntyre is a coach who has DB in his DNA.

Over the span of his career, MacIntyre has coached on both sides of the ball. But it's no secret that the man who played safety in college and coached defensive backs in the NFL under Bill Parcells has a special affinity for the secondary — and that special relationship has blossomed in Boulder. While he has had a variety of secondary coaches during his time as a head coach, the constant is quality defensive backs who are NFL ready when they leave CU.

It is, MacIntyre says, the product of teaching, learning and practicing the fundamentals.

"We've had a lot of talented young men come through here and work extremely hard," MacIntyre said. "They take to our coaching and work at it, keep developing into excellent players that will do excellent in the NFL. They go there with a great fundamental base. They've already been developed and understand how to play the position of defensive back – safety, corner or nickel."

That preparation, MacIntyre says, is critical to NFL teams.

Pro teams don't have the luxury of developing fundamentals. They expect the fundamentals to be in place when they take a player — and Colorado has displayed a propensity for firmly establishing that foundation.

"It's hard to develop them in the NFL because you don't have as much practice time," MacIntyre said. "You are trying to get guys ready to play, so if they are not fundamentally sound when they get there, they don't last very long. Our guys are fundamentally sound. That's a credit to our coaches here and a credit to those young men listening, doing what we ask and really working at their trade."

MacIntyre is also a strong proponent of making sure his defensive backs understand the other side of the ball. They know how offenses operate, they know how wide receivers think — and they are prepared in those areas.

"They understand the meeting room and understand the concepts of offensive football and how to defend it," MacIntyre said. "I think that is extremely important. That is why these young men have done well in the NFL, and the guys that are here on our team eventually will play well here and play well in the NFL."

While CU's recent secondary success is no longer a secret, what might not be as well known is that Colorado has historically produced NFL-quality defensive backs. Since 1967 — the first year of the "common" draft (AFL and NFL combined) — Colorado has had 47 defensive backs selected. That's the fifth-most in the nation.

It is an impressive list, one that ranges from from Dick Anderson (who started for the unbeaten 1972 Miami Dolphins) to Mark Haynes to Deion Figures to current Baltimore Ravens standout Jimmy Smith, a first-round pick in 2011.

But the Buffs' current run of NFL-caliber defensive backs under MacIntyre is no doubt a special one — and one that likely won't end anytime soon, as the current group of players under the guidance of assistant coaches ShaDon Brown and Ashley Ambrose is a solid one.

Buffs who could hear their names called in future Aprils?

Start with senior safety Evan Worthington, who was already turning NFL scouts' heads last fall. Throw senior Nick Fisher into the mix, then add sophomore Trey Udoffia and redshirt freshman Chris Miller to the list of Buffs whose futures are bright. Others in that category include juniors Delrick Abrams and Dante Wigley, redshirt freshman Isaiah Lewis and sophomore Ronnie Blackmon.

None of those players is a household name today. But it is important to remember this: defensive backs improve in Boulder.

Oliver came to CU as a lightly recruited high school player. So did Awuzie and Thompson. Witherspoon spent his first year in college at a junior college, played sparingly as a sophomore in Boulder, became a starter as a junior, and then made the jump from unknown to high-round draft pick as a senior.

Each had a slightly different storyline, but the constant is they came to Colorado and became NFL-caliber defensive backs.

So who's got next? There are plenty of possibilities, and only time can answer the question.

But this much, we already know: it's no longer a secret that DBs blossom in Boulder.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu