Indiana University Athletics
Young Safeties Pleased with Offseason Progress
5/20/2015 3:54:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
Antonio Allen calls his football mentality "beast mode."
"Beast mode" means playing on the attack, the rising junior said. It means playing fast and trusting instinct. It means being aggressive and hitting hard.
"Beast mode" reflects Indiana's renewed focus on playing with violence.
Indiana safeties coach Noah Joseph has been stressing to his players that they need to play more violently. He wants them on the attack, making plays and causing turnovers.
Playing violently has turned into a type of swagger the Hoosiers safeties have taken a liking to. They want it to define them. They want other teams to fear the hits they're capable of laying out.
For Allen, violence and "beast mode" go hand and hand.
"We'd be great if everybody would put their mind to it and go out with that mentality that we're not losing to anybody," Allen said. "You've got to be violent out there. Play fast. Play hard. Get to the ball. That's beast mode."
Allen is the lone returning starter among IU's defensive backs. He spent most of spring camp lined up alongside redshirt sophomore Chase Dutra as the other starting safety.
Dutra played in all 12 games last season behind--and sometimes alongside--four-year starter Mark Murphy.
Allen and Dutra said they've enjoyed their time playing together. They both bought into playing with violence and are trying to use their individual strengths to compliment one another's playing style.
Allen's more of a hard-hitting safety. His teammates still call him by his nickname, "Woo," which he received partly because it's the audible reaction he'll hear after some of his breathtaking hits.
Dutra excels more in pass coverage. His three interceptions last season tied for the team lead, and Dutra said he only hopes to pick off more passes with increased playing time this season.
"We've got a nice combination," Dutra said. "We don't really talk about it. We both just know. Here's someone who's a better hitter and here's a guy who can cover a bit more. It's one of our strengths and it's good to have."
Like their playing styles, Dutra and Allen's personalities on the field are also on different ends of the spectrum.
Allen doesn't like to talk much when he's playing. He does his job in quiet, focused on getting ready for the next play regardless of how well the previous went.
Dutra has emerged as one of the team's vocal leaders. Without Murphy around, Dutra has slowly begun to fill that role even with just one year of playing experience to his credit.
Dutra's leadership at such a young age reflects the youth in the defensive backfield across the board, but the Hoosiers don't see that as a negative. They see their youth as a sign of things to come.
"We're all young, but coach (Kevin) Wilson was just saying to me not to worry about your age or grade," Dutra said. "If people look up to you, you're a leader. I'm just doing my best to help out in that aspect."
As the summer rolls on and fall camp begins in August, Dutra and Allen hope to only strengthen their relationship both on the field and off it.
They're already hard at work in the weight room together and have been putting in extra time on the practice field getting more comfortable lining up alongside each other.
Without coaching or opponents to game plan for, Allen, Dutra and the rest of the defensive backs have been working individually to prepare for the fall. They're laying the foundation for what they expect to be a strong few seasons in Bloomington.
"Overall, as a group, we're starting to get better," Dutra said. "We're moving a lot better. We're bonding a lot better. This group is only going to get stronger."
Just how strong, exactly?
"Nobody really knows," Dutra said. "But I think we all have a general idea that we're going to be pretty darn good."
