Otters' Safety Dominic Verns will be the first to tell you not to call him a linebacker. Throughout the NSFL’s inaugural season the Otter’s lined up the versatile Verns at both safety slots as well as with the linebackers in some sub-packages. The former Fighting Irish man took the adjustment well, though admitted to some rookie jitters.
“I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little wide-eyed when Coach Shaka told me the plan. I’d only ever played free until that first week of practice. All of Pop Warner, all of high school, all of college, I was always the one centerfield lurking. But Coach laid it out for me and Ian (Bavitz) was always there to mentor me when I was down in the box. I was essentially learning three positions and I knew I needed to catch on pretty fast.”
The first half of the season started slowly for the rookie, with not much to write home about (other than Week 4 against the Sabercats, where he recorded his first career interception). The last 6 games however it all seemed to click. Through Weeks 9-14 Verns averaged just over 6 tackles a game, while in Weeks 1-8 he was averaging a pedestrian 3.3.
“Of course you want to contribute as soon as you hit the field, you want to be dominant, you want your coach and teammates to have no doubt in you. I don’t feel like I really accomplished that until midseason when I had an epiphany courtesy of Franklin (Harris) at a team dinner at a buffet. He was giving me a hard time for not being “fat” enough to play linebacker and he was shoveling more food onto my plate. It seems simple but that’s when it hit me, I’m not a safety playing linebacker, I’m not a linebacker playing safety, I’m playing my own position. I’m a rover here. I always idolized Sean Taylor. Now I’m looking at guys who followed that path like Earl Thomas and Deone Bucannon of the NFL who never shy away from being down on the line of scrimmage. That’s who I model my game after now. I want to be the best of both worlds.”
”
It’s fitting that both of the best performances of his season also came against the Otters’ primary rival, the Outlaws. In Week 9, despite the loss, Verns finally started to show his ability in the rover role - Piling up 7 tackles (1 TFL) and two sacks. He continued to be disruptive until the season finale where he made arguably the biggest play of his season. Down 15-10 going into the 4th Quarter, the young safety picked off a Vincent Draxel pass in the flats and returned it for a touchdown. The momentum stayed, and the Otters went on to defeat Arizona 23-16.
“Of course it was good to end the regular season on a high note, but the culture here in O.C. is we’re never satisfied. Obviously the AFSC Championship game didn’t end the way we had hoped but it only has made me hungrier, made us hungrier. We’ll be back. I certainly plan on picking up where I left off.”
Among all safeties Verns ended the season tied for 4th for tackles (64), tied for 1st in sacks (4), and one of only four others with a defensive touchdown. If he is able maintain the form he was in in the closing weeks for a full season, an 80 tackle 8 sack Season 2 isn’t out of reach. When asked what he thought of his projected stat line he simplified replied with a smile:
“It’s time to get back to work.”
(607 words)
“I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little wide-eyed when Coach Shaka told me the plan. I’d only ever played free until that first week of practice. All of Pop Warner, all of high school, all of college, I was always the one centerfield lurking. But Coach laid it out for me and Ian (Bavitz) was always there to mentor me when I was down in the box. I was essentially learning three positions and I knew I needed to catch on pretty fast.”
The first half of the season started slowly for the rookie, with not much to write home about (other than Week 4 against the Sabercats, where he recorded his first career interception). The last 6 games however it all seemed to click. Through Weeks 9-14 Verns averaged just over 6 tackles a game, while in Weeks 1-8 he was averaging a pedestrian 3.3.
“Of course you want to contribute as soon as you hit the field, you want to be dominant, you want your coach and teammates to have no doubt in you. I don’t feel like I really accomplished that until midseason when I had an epiphany courtesy of Franklin (Harris) at a team dinner at a buffet. He was giving me a hard time for not being “fat” enough to play linebacker and he was shoveling more food onto my plate. It seems simple but that’s when it hit me, I’m not a safety playing linebacker, I’m not a linebacker playing safety, I’m playing my own position. I’m a rover here. I always idolized Sean Taylor. Now I’m looking at guys who followed that path like Earl Thomas and Deone Bucannon of the NFL who never shy away from being down on the line of scrimmage. That’s who I model my game after now. I want to be the best of both worlds.”
”
It’s fitting that both of the best performances of his season also came against the Otters’ primary rival, the Outlaws. In Week 9, despite the loss, Verns finally started to show his ability in the rover role - Piling up 7 tackles (1 TFL) and two sacks. He continued to be disruptive until the season finale where he made arguably the biggest play of his season. Down 15-10 going into the 4th Quarter, the young safety picked off a Vincent Draxel pass in the flats and returned it for a touchdown. The momentum stayed, and the Otters went on to defeat Arizona 23-16.
“Of course it was good to end the regular season on a high note, but the culture here in O.C. is we’re never satisfied. Obviously the AFSC Championship game didn’t end the way we had hoped but it only has made me hungrier, made us hungrier. We’ll be back. I certainly plan on picking up where I left off.”
Among all safeties Verns ended the season tied for 4th for tackles (64), tied for 1st in sacks (4), and one of only four others with a defensive touchdown. If he is able maintain the form he was in in the closing weeks for a full season, an 80 tackle 8 sack Season 2 isn’t out of reach. When asked what he thought of his projected stat line he simplified replied with a smile:
“It’s time to get back to work.”
(607 words)
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[OPTION] || Titus Marmot | Co-GM | Orange County Otters ||
[OPTION] (S2) Otters Regular Season Record : 8-6
[OPTION] (S3) Otters Regular Season Record : 5-3
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[div align=center][SELECT style="background-color:#FFFFFF;color;white: font-family:Verdana; font-size: 12px; width: 400px; "][br]
[OPTION] || Titus Marmot | Co-GM | Orange County Otters ||
[OPTION] (S2) Otters Regular Season Record : 8-6
[OPTION] (S3) Otters Regular Season Record : 5-3