Cornerback goes from youngest to most experienced in secondary
Virginia’s Demetrious Nicholson has a confident, breezy demeanor that suggests he has it all covered without sweating the details.
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It proved the best approach last year when he was a heavily scrutinized true freshman, the first to start at cornerback for the Cavaliers in a quarter century. Amid three senior starters, Nicholson figured to be the weak link in the secondary. Instead, he was on the field for more plays than any Virginia defender (940), finishing fourth in tackles (60).
This year will be a bit of a role reversal. Nicholson is the lone returning starter in an extraordinarily young secondary, which includes 16 underclassmen, one junior and no seniors. His new status suddenly dawned on Nicholson last spring.
“I didn’t even think that far ahead,” Nicholson said. “It was like, ‘Wow, all of them are gone, and this is only my second year.’ I have to make plays and be the one who other guys can count on.”
Nicholson has plenty of leadership cred considering the circumstances of his life. He was born to a father who has been in prison most of his life and to a 12-year-old mother who dropped out of school to raise him.
But Nicholson managed to thrive in the classroom and on the field, starting a month into his freshman year at Bayside High in Virginia Beach. By his senior year, he was a Parade All-American. The best indicator of his priorities was the three academic-oriented schools he considered — Virginia, Stanford and North Carolina.
Nicholson should have plenty of sway with his preseason roommate, true freshman Maurice Canady, who appears likely to start at the opposite corner. True sophomores Brandon Phelps and Anthony Harris are getting strong looks at the two safety spots.
“It makes me feel old, and I’ve only been here one year,” Nicholson said of the surrounding youth. “I don’t look at it as too much pressure though.”
Nicholson got high marks for how he handled pressure in 2011. He surrendered some big plays, but his confidence never wavered, leading to steady improvement. This year, he hopes to impart those lessons learned to his new mates in the secondary.
