FRISCO, Texas — Roughly 45 minutes awaited before practice, and Nick Saban was at it again.
“Hey, we need to train this guy,” then-Alabama defensive backs coach Karl Scott remembers Saban telling him in October 2018. “You need to meet with him. Make sure he knows what he’s doing out there.”
A quiet Smith joined Scott in the meeting room, nodding from his chair as coach taught player the system. Smith ultimately would injure his hamstring in the Missouri game before Saban could throw him on defense for third down, but the plan was there — and had been since at least the spring. Diggs began working full-time at defensive back during spring 2017, after current NFL defensive backs Marlon Humphrey and Eddie Jackson left for the NFL draft. Diggs had dabbled at safety, receiver and returner as a freshman, the complexity of Saban’s system overwhelming for a player more deeply rooted in offense.
Diggs broke up three passes in 2017, then six with an interception in just six healthy games played in 2018. By 2019, he disrupted eight passes, intercepted three and recovered two fumbles, including one for a touchdown. He says he had inculcated an aggressive mindset already at receiver, but learning at-the-line technique demanded long hours of post-practice reps in the indoor facility. In the film room, Diggs sought to leverage his understanding of route concepts and receiver tendencies.
“Smitty was a freshman, so we didn’t want to do it to him,” said Ansley, who’s now the Los Angeles Chargers’ secondary coach. “DeVonta and Tre both have great ball skills, both long, could track it and big.”
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