Colorado University Athletics
Polk Excited About Switch To Defense
BOULDER ? It happened on a broken play during the first fall scrimmage last season when two highly-touted true freshmen running backs met on the field during a play when neither was lined up as a running back.
GÇ£ThatGÇÖs true, I have played defense at CU,GÇ¥ Ray Polk said. GÇ£I forgot about that play.GÇ¥
Darrell Scott, who is an outstanding punter, was lined up 12 yards deep ready to punt the ball away but after he took the snap he decided to take off and run the ball instead.
After the unexpected move, Polk saw Scott out of the corner of his eye and took off. After Scott had broken a few tackles and looked primed to take it to the house, it was Polk who met up with him and brought him down.
GÇ£I donGÇÖt know what Darrell was thinking,GÇ¥ Polk said when reminded of the play. GÇ£We werenGÇÖt in a punt-block situation or anything, I think he just saw an opening and took off.GÇ¥
While many around the program remember that play, truth be told, defensive backs coach Greg Brown didn't see it. But after watching Polk play on the scout team as a running back all season, he was thrilled when Polk asked coach Dan Hawkins if he could make the switch over to the other side of the ball.
GÇ£I was joking that this was the recruiting coup of the season,GÇ¥ Brown said. GÇ£HeGÇÖs an extremely impressive guy. HeGÇÖs just a winner and weGÇÖre fortunate to have a kid like that in our program. He always has a smile on his face and he has already fit in extremely well with the other defensive backs.GÇ¥
PolkGÇÖs father, Raymond, played cornerback at Oklahoma State and was drafted in 1985 by the Los Angeles Raiders. GÇ£HeGÇÖs got the genes and the pedigree,GÇ¥ Brown said.
Blake Behrens, a starter on the offensive line last year for CU and a prep teammate of Polk in Scottsdale, Ariz., agrees with Brown and says Polk would be successful at any position but remembers Polk looking natural in the defensive backfield at Brophy Prep. In fact, Behrens says that Polk made the game-winning play to secure a state championship in 2005.
GÇ£My junior year and RayGÇÖs sophomore in the state championship game, we scored to take the lead and coach decided to put Ray in at cornerback,GÇ¥ Behrens explained. GÇ£He made the game-winning interception. It was his first season playing at that level and you could tell he was going to be a great player.GÇ¥
At CU last year, he impressed so much as the scout team running back and his natural ability stood out to the point where the defensive coaches would joke with him about playing on the other side of the ball.
GÇ£But there was never any pressure,GÇ¥ Polk said. GÇ£Nobody ever approached me about making the switch. After talking it over at length with my mom, I went into HawkGÇÖs office and asked him what he thought about the idea and he liked it.GÇ¥