2015 NFL Draft: Quinton Rollins Could Be Detroit Lions Second Round Target
By Tony Fischer
Miami RedHawks point guard Quiton Rollins was entering his final semester of eligibility so he figured it would be a good time to try football. The results were nothing less than miraculous. In his first year playing college football Rollins became one of the best cornerbacks in the country nabbing seven interceptions on his way to winning MAC defensive player of the year.
Noone was more surprised than first year RedHawks head man Chuck Martin who recruited Rollins to add depth to his team and ended up with a future NFL draft pick.
"“I made the shortest recruiting trip of my life,” Martin said, in a phone interview. “I walked 30 yards from my office to the gym. I watched him play basketball. He was crazy gifted — explosive, strong, could change direction. His competitiveness was off the charts. It didn’t take but 5 minutes to know he could do the job of a defensive back physically.”"
Rollins was surprised too. As a college athlete he was confident in his ability but never expected to do so well at a sport he hadn’t played since highschool.
"“I didn’t expect it to come this fast,” Rollins said.“I would go to the game and watch and be like, ‘Man, I could be out there doing this, doing that.’ I’d just say it to myself; I didn’t let anybody know,” he said. “It crossed my mind every now and then.”"
Now the first year college corner is in line for an early pick in the NFL Draft. The question is whether or not the game will come as fast to Quinton Rollins at the pro level as it did in division 1 college football.
If any team can develop a raw talent like Quinton Rollins it is the Detroit Lions. Afterall they have experience. Ziggy Ansah became the Lions 2013 first round pick after just one season of football at BYU. Ansah had never touched a football before the 2012 season but become a very important part of Detroit defensive front. It took until 2014 for Ansah to develop but to be fair he was injured for much of his rookie season.
In Ansah’s case, 1 1/2 seasons is a pretty good turn around for a developing player. Especially one with zero football experience. Imagine what the Lions coaching staff could do with Quinton Rollins.
Some pundits credit that development to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin who has quickly developed a reputation for getting the best out of his players. Austin’s system could help Rollins be effective right away at the pro-level. The Detroit Lions blitz heavy defensive scheme takes pressure off the secondary by significantly shortening the time spent in coverage. The scheme helped Darius Slay develop into a solid starting corner in 2014 and could do the same for Rollins with his natural awareness and athletic ability.