Choosing a Husky Starting Lineup: Cool Name Is Free Safety Prerequisite
To play free safety at the University of Washington, first off you need a cool name.
The Huskies once trotted out a guy named Lawyer to play centerfield in its football secondary.
He supplied one persuasive closing statement after another.
He won all of his cases, too, earning consensus first-team All-America honors in 1995.
Then they came up with a guy named Budda.
He created his own religion.
Which was to deny all pass completions and long runs after sundown on Friday.
He's got a huge following these days, people who admire him for becoming the highest-paid safety (4 years, $54 million) in the history of the NFL.
He's the answer to Arizona Cardinals' prayers.
As we choose a starting lineup for Jimmy Lake, which will continue to fluctuate up until opening kickoff on Nov. 7 at California, we need to find a free safety that best fits the criteria.
Somebody who can run the field with reckless abandon.
Someone who hits people so you never forget him.
A young guy with an unforgettable first name.
We know you were going to say Asa.
Or was it Jacobe?
But how about Julius?
Hail Caesar!
Son of an NFL Pro Bowler.
As in Julius Irvin.
OK, another Dr. J.
Hey, the UW Medical Center is across the street.
Pre-med student Edefuan Ulofoshio is starting at inside linebacker.
It all seems to fit.
Free safety candidates: Julius Irvin, 6-foot-1, 185, sophomore; Cam Williams, 6-0, 190, sophomore; Asa Turner, 6-3, 200, sophomore; Jacobe Covington, 6-2, 195, freshman; Markell Estell, 6-1, 180, freshman.
Starting experience: Williams, 7 starts; Turner, 5 starts.
Our selection: Irvin. This kid has wheels and bloodlines. The son of LeRoy Irvin, Julius is a big-player performer who turned down Alabama, Notre Dame and USC to join Jimmy Lake's Huskies. He can run as his 46-yard per catch average in high school showed. Already, the Huskies have released video of him making a big hit in Saturday's scrimmage, No. 29 in your headlights, shown in this Twitter clip.
Other options: Covington comes in with huge credentials, so much that Lake keeps intimating that some of his freshmen, this freshman, could play right away, if not grab a starting spot. Williams and Turner seem destined to battle it out at strong safety, which is what they did the season before, splitting starts. Estell could be battle ready, as well.
Greatest Husky FS of the decade: Budda Baker. He was the butcher, the baker and candle-stick maker, all in one, for the Huskies, a guy who could do everything before going off and making a name for himself in the NFL. The UW even toyed with using him on offense.
Other legendary UW FS: Al Worley, 1968 first-team All-American and NCAA record-holder with 14 interceptions in a season; Lawyer Milloy, the only consensus All-American at this position, bringing him a dozen years in the NFL; Greg Grimes, the first huge hitter at free safety of the Don James era; Taylor Rapp, MVP of the Pac-12 championship game as a freshman; Shane Pahukoa, starter for 1991 national championship team; Bill Cahill, a tenacious hitter in the Sonny Sixkiller era and NFL player; Tim Peoples, a viscious hitter on the 1984 Orange Bowl team.
The UW Starting Lineup:
Left tackle — Jaxson Kirkland
Left guard — Ulumoo Ale
Center — Luke Wattenberg
Right guard — Corey Luciano
Right tackle — Henry Bainivalu
Tight end — Cade Otton
Tight end — Devin Culp
Wide receiver — Puka Nacua
Wide receiver — Ty Jones
Running back — Richard Newton
Quarterback —
Kicker —
Punter —
Outside linebacker — Laiatu Latu
Defensive tackle — Tuli Letuligasenoa
Defensive tackle — Josiah Bronson
Outside linebacker — Sav'ell Smalls
Inside linebacker — Edefuan Ulofoshio
Inside linebacker — Miki Ah You
Cornerback — Kyler Gordon
Cornerback — Trent McDuffie
Nickel back — Elijah Molden
Strong safety —
Free safety — Julius Ervin
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