Doing More – Versatile Ferrell Seeks to Continue Difference-Making Play
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Amare Ferrell doesn’t ask for much -- just give him a chance to make plays. Put this 6-foot-2, 200-pound Indiana junior at rover, safety or anywhere in the defensive secondary, and he delivers a big impact.
How big? Consider his victory-clinching interception at UCLA last fall. Consider that last season, his first as a full-time starter, Ferrell totaled 49 tackles, five pass breakups, four interceptions, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while moving from rover to safety.
Versatility is his forte. He can stop the run, defend the pass, and blitz. He can cover receivers, tight ends and, when necessary, running backs. His approach is simple -- big-time players make big-time plays at big-time moments.
With another season looming amid optimism from last year’s 11-2 breakthrough, there will be plenty of opportunity for that for Ferrell and his Hoosiers teammates.
To capitalize, he says, means doing more.
“I can be more physical,” he says. “I can be more of a communicator, more of a leader on defense and help out the young guys.
“For my (individual) game, I can be more physical, for sure.”
For this opportunity, Ferrell thanks defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and his willingness to maximize Ferrell’s skills through position change.
“I feel like I handled it well,” he says. “At the end of the day, I just want to help the team any way possible.
“Coach Haines put me in position to make a lot of plays, so I feel like I always have to give thanks to him for that.”
Much is expected from a powerhouse defense (it ranked among the Big Ten’s best in points allowed and yardage given up) that returns standouts such as linebacker Aiden Fisher, defensive lineman Mikail Kamara and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds in addition to Farrell.
One thing is certain, Ferrell adds. “We will do a good job in the back end.”
Directing it all is the 39-year-old Haines, who ranks among the nation’s best defensive coordinators.
“He brings a lot of different things,” Ferrell says. “We show a lot of different looks, different coverages, and different shells. We blitz a lot of guys. We do a lot of things to make sure the offense doesn't know what we are doing. I feel like that is what makes us so good.”
A big key for this year’s defense, especially the newcomers, is adjusting to head coach Curt Cignetti’s no-nonsense winning approach. In 14 seasons as a head coach, he’s never had a losing record.
“I tell them, there’s not a lot you can do to make him smile,” Ferrell says. “He’s a you’re-supposed-to-do-it type of guy. When you make a play, act like you’ve made a play before.”
That includes the offense, which led the Big Ten in scoring last season. Similar results are expected next season with new quarterback Fernando Mendoza running the show after transferring from the University of California. Last year, he threw for 3,004 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
“He’s a great quarterback,” Ferrell says. “He makes the right reads. He gets the ball out fast. He studies quarterbacks.”