Samuel Womack isn’t scared of any quarterback.
Not even his own.
The senior cornerback at the University of Toledo is one of the most confident players on the roster — and for good reason. He has evolved into one of the top cornerbacks in the Mid-American Conference, as the UT secondary has blossomed into a unit to be reckoned with.
“There’s a lot of competition in that room,” Rockets coach Jason Candle said. “There are four, five, six guys who have shown flashes of brilliance through spring practice, summer practice, and fall camp, and they’re making their claim that they deserve to play.
“Some of those guys provide some position flexibility to play at nickel and corner. [Cornerbacks] Coach [Cornell] Ford has done a great job of developing. It’s been fun to watch.”
Toledo returns all three cornerbacks who had a pass breakup and a pass defended in 2020 — Womack, Justin Clark, and Chris McDonald. Womack has led the MAC in pass breakups each of the past two seasons; Clark, a fifth-year junior, contributed to Toledo’s most recent MAC title in 2017; and McDonald is continuing his emergence after starting 11 games as a true freshman in 2019.
Quinyon Mitchell, Noah Hamlin, Mike Coleman, and Nebraska transfer Ronald Delancy III are in the next tier.
“Depth is a great thing to have,” Clark said. “We all know injuries happen. It’s good to have guys who can come in and step up. We try to have that next-man-up mentality. There’s great competition. Guys have to be on their ‘A’ game. It’s going to be exciting to see where everything falls into place.”
In a conference that challenges the Blue Angels for its aerial acrobatics, a competent secondary is required for title contenders. When UT won the MAC in 2017, it had the nation’s 43rd-ranked pass defense, allowing 233 passing yards per game, a 52.5 percent completion rate, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. The opponent completion percentage was top-10 nationally, and the Rockets’ 15 interceptions ranked in the top 25.
In 2018, Toledo’s pass defense plummeted No. 103. It bottomed out at 106th in 2019 before a staff overhaul during the offseason led to drastic improvement during the six-game 2020 season. The Rockets rose to 64th — the middle of the pack in the MAC — with optimism about what 2021 could become.
“It's encouraging,” Clark said. “We have great coaches who put us in great positions to be successful. We have lots of wrinkles we can do on defense where we put the right guys in the right spots. I can’t wait. [Ford] is a hell of a coach. He harps on getting turnovers, always trying to have us think about taking that ball away. He preaches that every day.”
Ford is a Maumee native and UT graduate. He was a longtime assistant under Gary Pinkel at Toledo and Missouri, serving as a volunteer analyst at UT last season and receiving a promotion when previous cornerbacks coach Hank Poteat left for Wisconsin.
Womack’s consistency and reliability have made him an obvious All-MAC candidate. Not bad for a former walk-on. His high school coach urged Candle to take a chance on him, and Candle has been rewarded with a dependable player who works hard 24/7/365.
In 2020, Womack was a nominee for the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s best player who started his career as a walk-on. His name should be part of the festivities again in 2021.
“When you can take away the other team’s best receiver with one guy and you don’t have to scheme and play safeties over the top, that’s a major plus,” Candle said. “You don’t have to sacrifice your run defense to eliminate a great receiver. We feel confident in Sam’s ability to cover. There are some other guys starting to develop into that mold as well. When you can play man-to-man defense and play in the face and challenge receivers, it opens up a lot of things for you to do defensively.”
The reliance could cause some players to feel burdened. Womack, however, isn’t one of those guys. Yes, he’s aware of the outside noise, the rumblings about his stature, and how the secondary’s quality of play will help determine the season’s trajectory.
That’s fine with him.
“When I put the work in every single day and every single week, I don’t really feel too much pressure,” Womack said. “I have a confidence about myself that I can go in and do my job. This is what I work for. This is what I train for every day. This is what I’m supposed to do. I don’t feel pressure because I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Behind the blue-penciled exterior is the moxie most people recognize in a defensive back. Conviction verging on cockiness is needed when you line up on an island against someone whose goal is to sprint past you.
On the subject of who wins when the first-team offense and first-team defense scrimmage, Womack opted not to hold back, not only crediting the secondary and overall defense, but offering a glimpse into why Las Vegas has its money on the Rockets in the MAC.
“Come on now, the defense. We win every day,” Womack said, with a sarcastic sneer. “I think we’re the best secondary in the nation, not just the MAC. We’re confident in everybody’s abilities. That’s the attitude we have and what we believe. When you believe and know the person next to you can make the play, it’s way easier.”
First Published August 18, 2021, 11:22 p.m.
