Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Safety Thompson Personifies CU's Rise Back To Relevancy
October 26, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
Colorado senior stuck through tough times
BOULDER — With a couple of days rest after a 10-5 win over defending Pac-12 champion Stanford, a No. 23 national ranking, a perch atop the Pac-12 South and bowl eligibility safely tucked in their pockets, the Colorado Buffaloes went back to work Wednesday.
But while the rest of the college football world is suddenly starting to pay attention to the Buffaloes, the atmosphere on the practice field Wednesday morning was the same.
Nothing has changed. Eight weeks of relative success do not make up for three years of adversity. The 6-2 Buffs (4-1 Pac-12) believe they still have plenty to prove over their last four regular season games, beginning with their Nov. 3 home matchup with UCLA (7 p.m., Fox Sports 1).
"I think we still have that chip on our shoulder from being at the bottom of the league for so long," said Buffs safety Tedric Thompson, who earlier this week was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after his 12-tackle, two-interception performance against Stanford. "It's not like we've forgotten that."
Thompson is one of the Buffs who personifies "The Rise" this season. A part-time starter as a true freshman, he's been a regular in the lineup since. He's seen the good times and bad, he's stuck with the process — and now he's on the cusp of helping lead the Buffaloes to a very special season while also solidly injecting his name into the NFL Draft conversation.
"Give credit to God for putting me in the position I'm in and credit to my mom for always pushing me when I've needed it," Thompson said. "The coaches I've had through the years have all been a big help. My teammates … there are a lot of people I'd have to thank for the opportunity that I've been given."
Thompson's play is one reason the Buffs have turned the corner this year. He's played equally well against the pass and run (53 tackles, team-leading four interceptions and eight third-down stops), and he's provided invaluable leadership.
"Football-wise, he's really become a student of the game," safeties coach Joe Tumpkin said. "He bought into the philosophy that Coach (defensive coordinator Jim) Leavitt and I have brought in and he's taken it upon himself to try to improve on those things every day. He tries to make sure he has a great understanding and great knowledge of what's going on out there and he practices hard, at a full-speed rep. All those things translate into into his play on the field."
Thompson's work ethic has set an example for his teammates, particularly the younger players on the team. Tumpkin said they see Thompson in practice, then see his production in games — and know the two go hand-in-hand.
"His leadership role and his maturity have really grown over the last two years," Tumpkin said. "You see it in how he handles certain things and certain situations, how he handles some of the other players. He's not an outwardly vocal person, but a lot of people are attracted to him. They come to him and take his advice. He's been a leader for the whole football team, not just the defense or the secondary."
Thompson is quick to hand out praise to teammates. Ask him how he's improved his coverage skills and he'll tell you it's because "we have to go against the best receivers in the Pac-12 every day in practice." Ask about his play-making ability and he's likely to deflect the praise to fellow defensive back Chidobe Awuzie.
Ask him about his recent Pac-12 honor and he shrugs his shoulders.
"Honestly, I haven't even thought about it since somebody told me," he said. "I'm just happy we won. If anything, the Pac-12 Player of the Week goes to the whole defense because we all played great. I'm just happy we kept winning."
Thompson is a key member of a secondary that is rapidly gaining the reputation as one of the best in the country. The Buffs are currently 15th in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (178.6,) tied for eighth in interceptions (11) and sixth in pass efficiency defense. They've even been tagged with a popular Twitter hashtag: #MoneyGang.
For Thompson, the Stanford game was a special one. His mother, Flossie, was celebrating her birthday with a cruise and was able to watch the game on television.
"She always lets me know if I'm doing good or bad," Thompson said with a grin. "I also heard from my sister, a couple of my old coaches, things like that."
Thompson was a member of Mike MacIntyre's first recruiting class at CU. Of that 23-member class, 19 are still with the team four years later. It is a group that has endured some long seasons and enjoyed precious few successes — until this year.
"I never got down on not winning because I knew we were going to turn this program around before I left," Thompson said. "I think we all knew it was going to happen if we just kept at it."
Thompson admits that there was a brief period of time when he wondered if he would play again. He suffered a concussion in the eighth game of the year against UCLA his sophomore season and missed the rest of the season. But he decided to come back because he did not want to leave a job unfinished.
Now, he'll have one more chance at UCLA, a team that has haunted the Buffs with agonizingly close wins the last two years.
"That's all we're focusing on right now," Thompson said. "Starting this climb like we have, we still have to approach every week one day at a time. We really don't think about too much other than the next game. I think we still have that chip on our shoulders because know we still have a lot to improve on. We're definitely not there yet."
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Buffs' bye week followed by a Thursday game actually gives CU a benefit on both sides of the UCLA game. It means an extra couple of days this week to rest and recuperate after eight straight weeks of games (on the heels of fall camp), and another extra couple of days following the UCLA game before the Nov. 12 game at Arizona.
The team did some weightlifting and running earlier in the week before returning to the practice field Wednesday for a relatively short but active practice. They'll practice again Thursday, lift and attend meetings on Friday and take Saturday off before returning to practice Sunday to begin final preparations for UCLA.
"We have to stay in rhythm on offense," MacIntyre said after Wednesday's workout. "You get concerned about getting out of rhythm, and we have to keep working defensively."
Preparing for the Bruins won't be easy for Leavitt's defense. After opening the season with the idea of being a power running team, the Bruins seem to have abandoned that philosophy. Last week against Utah, the Bruins attempted 71 passes in a 52-45 loss to the Utes.
"We've got to be prepared for everything," MacIntyre said. "That little more time to prepare for them helps us because we don't know exactly what they do offensively."
LINDSAY PRACTICES: Running back Phillip Lindsay, who suffered a slight ankle sprain against Stanford, practiced on Wednesday and should be ready for next week's game.
"He's been getting treatment every day," MacIntyre said. "He practiced today, but we gave him limited reps. It's not a bad ankle sprain at all. He's so tough that he felt good today."
NFL SCOUT NUMBERS GROW: CU's Sports Information Department is anticipating the largest gathering of NFL scouts in the Folsom Field press box in years for the UCLA game. Approximately 24 teams have already requested credentials for the game, with a few more still possible.
Overall, NFL interest in the Buffs has grown dramatically this season, with representatives from anywhere from two to six teams on hand regularly for midweek practices.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
