Indiana University Athletics
Thompson Brings Defensive Backs Experience
2/15/2016 1:22:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jayme Thompson wasted no time injecting some much-needed veteran leadership into Indiana's secondary.
And he hasn't even played a snap yet.
The Iowa Western Community College transfer enrolled at Indiana for the spring semester and is already a little more than a month into training with his new teammates. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound redshirt junior is working behind the scenes conducting workouts, leading film sessions and doing what he can to mentor what remains a young, mostly untested group of defensive backs.
"To be elite, you have to do extra things," Thompson said. "It's not just about doing things when everybody's doing them. It's about doing them when nobody's watching."
Thompson redshirted his true freshman season at Ohio State with a broken ankle before transferring to Iowa Western.
Thompson's on-field production and notoriety for being a physical, hard-nosed safety caught Indiana's attention. Adding in his experience to the equation, head coach Kevin Wilson and secondary coach Noah Joseph decided it would be in the program's best interest to invite the Toledo, Ohio, native to Bloomington.
"One of the biggest things was he's a little bit more mature," Joseph said. "We felt like with some of the losses we had in the secondary we needed an older, mature kid to come in from a mental standpoint and a leadership standpoint to be able to help us on the back end."
Early reports are that Thompson has done just that in the limited time he's allowed to be around his teammates without the guidance of the coaching staff. He won't be able to fight for his spot in the depth chart on the field until spring ball begins in early March.
"I think I fit in pretty well," Thompson said. "I'm really getting the bond going, really trying to help change the culture."
Thompson is learning both the free safety and "Husky" positions under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen's 4-2-5 base defense. He described himself as a hybrid player with past experience playing both safety and linebacker.
Asked which he'd prefer, Thompson had no immediate preference.
"Anywhere," he said. "I'm just trying to get on the field."
Wherever he lines up, fans can expect Thompson to be physical. He doesn't tend to shy away from contact whenever he meets the ball carrier.
"I like to think I'm a pretty aggressive safety, physical safety," he said. "Just coming down hill and not being afraid of contact, driving through guys."
Before he can worry about laying out the hits, Thompson is getting a crash course in learning Indiana's playbook. He's been studying all he can along with fellow mid-year enrollee and new roommate Richard Lagow to get up to speed.
Thompson tests himself by taking "mental reps" when he can. He'll simulate what he thinks he might see on a play based on film and picture himself making plays.
It's the closest he's got until spring practice when he's lined up opposite his new roommate trying to make life difficult for Indiana's new quarterback candidate.
"It'll be interesting in spring practice," Thompson said. "Hopefully he'll throw me a few balls."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jayme Thompson wasted no time injecting some much-needed veteran leadership into Indiana's secondary.
And he hasn't even played a snap yet.
The Iowa Western Community College transfer enrolled at Indiana for the spring semester and is already a little more than a month into training with his new teammates. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound redshirt junior is working behind the scenes conducting workouts, leading film sessions and doing what he can to mentor what remains a young, mostly untested group of defensive backs.
"To be elite, you have to do extra things," Thompson said. "It's not just about doing things when everybody's doing them. It's about doing them when nobody's watching."
Thompson redshirted his true freshman season at Ohio State with a broken ankle before transferring to Iowa Western.
Thompson's on-field production and notoriety for being a physical, hard-nosed safety caught Indiana's attention. Adding in his experience to the equation, head coach Kevin Wilson and secondary coach Noah Joseph decided it would be in the program's best interest to invite the Toledo, Ohio, native to Bloomington.
"One of the biggest things was he's a little bit more mature," Joseph said. "We felt like with some of the losses we had in the secondary we needed an older, mature kid to come in from a mental standpoint and a leadership standpoint to be able to help us on the back end."
Early reports are that Thompson has done just that in the limited time he's allowed to be around his teammates without the guidance of the coaching staff. He won't be able to fight for his spot in the depth chart on the field until spring ball begins in early March.
"I think I fit in pretty well," Thompson said. "I'm really getting the bond going, really trying to help change the culture."
Thompson is learning both the free safety and "Husky" positions under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen's 4-2-5 base defense. He described himself as a hybrid player with past experience playing both safety and linebacker.
Asked which he'd prefer, Thompson had no immediate preference.
"Anywhere," he said. "I'm just trying to get on the field."
Wherever he lines up, fans can expect Thompson to be physical. He doesn't tend to shy away from contact whenever he meets the ball carrier.
"I like to think I'm a pretty aggressive safety, physical safety," he said. "Just coming down hill and not being afraid of contact, driving through guys."
Before he can worry about laying out the hits, Thompson is getting a crash course in learning Indiana's playbook. He's been studying all he can along with fellow mid-year enrollee and new roommate Richard Lagow to get up to speed.
Thompson tests himself by taking "mental reps" when he can. He'll simulate what he thinks he might see on a play based on film and picture himself making plays.
It's the closest he's got until spring practice when he's lined up opposite his new roommate trying to make life difficult for Indiana's new quarterback candidate.
"It'll be interesting in spring practice," Thompson said. "Hopefully he'll throw me a few balls."
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