Defensive backfield lifts lightweights

Erik Visokey was concerned before the Penn lightweight football team began practice this season. As the only returning defensive back for the Quakers, Visokey, a strong safety, didn't know what to expect. John Amendt, the team's defensive backs coach, was worried as well. Slated to replace three graduating seniors were three walk-ons and a transfer. "I didn't know what to expect," Amendt says. But listen to them talk about the Penn secondary now. "I don't think we lost anything from last year," Visokey says. "Even though we lost three seniors, I think we've improved. As a whole, this is a better secondary than last year." How did this happen? When the Quakers take on Cornell at Franklin Field tonight at 7:30, their starting defensive backfield will feature sophomores Diallo Crenshaw and Gordon Austin at cornerback, sophomore Zach Chan at free safety, and Visokey at his strong safety spot. Junior Wellington Chang and freshman Adam Etra will also see significant time at corner and free safety, respectively. Besides Visokey, Chang, a transfer from Army, was the only member of the group that had played lightweight football before this season. It normally would seem like cause for concern. But after the Penn coaches got a good look at the newcomers, their concern changed to confidence. "After one week of practice, I realized I had some pretty good athletes," Amendt says. "We could see this group had talent," head coach Bill Wagner says. After all, Wagner points out, all of them were good high school players. But for various reasons, they didn't immediately come out for the lightweight team. Austin, for example, spent last year as a wrestler. Crenshaw and Chan didn't know about lightweight football until they came to Penn. And Etra and Visokey originally planned to play for the heavyweight team before deciding it was too much of a time commitment. Together they have brought a lot to the Quaker defense, turning what could have been a glaring weakness into a strength. "I had to find two new corners and a new safety," Amendt says. "Now I actually have three good corners and three good safeties. So right now I have six guys I consider starters. They're all smart, they're all quick, and they have what I consider FBI -- football intelligence." And they all have noses for the ball. A big part of Penn's defensive philosophy this year will be using its team speed to create turnovers, either by getting interceptions or by jarring the ball loose with vicious hits. The concept worked beautifully in the Quakers' first game, a 16-0 win over Princeton. Penn intercepted the Tigers four times and forced five fumbles, recovering two. Chan set up the first touchdown with an interception, and Visokey had a key interception late in the first half that led to a field goal. There will be a new challenge for the Quakers tonight. Cornell is quite willing to throw the ball. In its 13-10 victory over Penn last year, the Big Red went to the air 29 times, compared to only 26 rushing attempts. And Cornell features Josh Hamilton, a junior who led the Eastern Lightweight Football League last year with 19 receptions for 307 yards. "If he's a good receiver, he's going to make some catches," Crenshaw says. "The thing is, we just have to drill him when he catches it." Consider Hamilton and the rest of the Big Red warned.