Iowa Football DB Deshaun Lee Taking the Veteran Jump, Maturing Into a Leader

Like clockwork, the Iowa Hawkeyes bring in talented recruits as defensive backs, get their feet a little wet early in their careers, and then let them blossom into talented leaders on the defensive side of the ball.

It takes patience, though, and that's one thing Iowa is willing to give these players. The Hawkeyes don't demand instant production. Instead, they bring them along at the proper pace, which is paying off yet again, as evidenced by Deshaun Lee.

Experience is the main ingredient for Deshaun Lee

Experience is one of Deshuan Lee's best attributes. The fifth-year defensive back out of Belleville, Michigan, has been in Phil Parker's program for years, which has exposed him to many talented defensive backs.

This week, Kirk Ferentz was asked about Lee's ascension and how it was similar to the growth former Iowa defensive back T.J. Hall had at Iowa before going to the NFL.

"Yeah, it's very similar to TJ's ascension, really. Talked a little bit about that. You've heard me talk about that with Kamari, just how much better he's playing this year. That's the beauty of experience.

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"Cherry-pick Bryce Hawthorne. You can name a lot of guys that were getting their feet wet last year that are playing at a higher level. When I look across at their tape as well, it's very similar.

"A lot of our guys are home-grown guys that with each turn, just keep getting better and better, and that's the beauty of football," Ferentz said about Deshaun Lee's maturity and leadership.

Deshaun Lee has become a leader on Iowa's defense

"Deshaun has always been a great, young guy, and now he's playing with a little bit more confidence, and that comes with experience. It also comes with sometimes having some failure.

"But as long as you grow, he's got a great attitude, always had, and a great work ethic on top of it. It's usually a good combination. If you can work through the low periods and then just keep pushing forward, that's kind of the reward, playing good as a senior," continued Ferentz about Deshaun Lee.

Stats don't tell the full story for a cornerback. Sometimes, the fewer stats a cornerback has, the better. It means teams are staying away from that side of the field in the passing game. Still, Deshaun Lee has found himself in the middle of the action.

Getting involved in stopping the run is mandatory for Phil Parker's defensive backs. Lee has done that, registering 25 tackles on the year to go with 5 pass breakups and a team-leading 3 interceptions.

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