Despite coming in during the summer, Miami freshman CB Al Blades has already worked his way up Miami’s defensive back depth chart. After spending the first few weeks of fall practice mainly taking reps with the second team, Blades says he owes his early success to his consistent mentality.
“Personally, all I do is attack every day like it’s my last day, you never know,” Blades said. “I don’t take the game for granted, so I go out there every day and just push myself.”
Last week at Media Day, Mark Richt praised Blades for bringing an intense competitiveness to practice every day.
“It’s just my personality as far as competition goes,” Blades said on Richt’s comments. “The receivers’ scholarships are getting paid just like my scholarship is getting paid. I know they’re great, so I just attack every day and try not to get beat, and get better.”
Aside from three returnees at the position, the cornerback group is all freshmen and is extremely inexperienced coming into 2018. With the guidance of Mike Rumph, though, Blades believes the young UM corners will be just fine.
“Coach Rumph has a great relationship with every last corner he has, he loves us as players, but he loves us as men first over anything,” Blades said. “It’s really great to have someone that cares about you and your mental health, as well as you physically playing on the field. We’re going to be hard to handle.”
What’s the biggest difference coming to the college game from high school?
“It’s very fast paced,” Blades said. “I’d say my biggest freshman moment came in the first scrimmage. I was playing man coverage coming across the middle covering the receiver, but it was a run play and a tight end came up and reach blocked me, he got me pretty good.”
As a UM legacy recruit, Blades was always ticketed to end up at Miami. However, the culture that Richt has fostered in the Hurricanes program was a big attraction to Blades, and he says that environment has held true in his first few months in Coral Gables.
“In the recruiting process, I never really paid attention to the outside talk, because the proof is in the pudding,” Blades said. “You come to the schools and you can see what’s happening, you can talk to the players, see how things are. I already kind of knew what was expected of me coming in here and wherever you go, it’s going to be hard work and it’s going to take you being the man you have to be to get through it.”
The Canes will open their 2018 season against #25 LSU in Arlington, Texas in less than 2 weeks. What has Blades been seeing from the Tigers’ defense?
“I watched tape on a couple receivers at LSU,” Blades said. “In practice, coach Rumph does a great job of preparing us for what we’re going to see. I think we’re going to be ready. We’re just ready to go out and play.”
“Personally, all I do is attack every day like it’s my last day, you never know,” Blades said. “I don’t take the game for granted, so I go out there every day and just push myself.”
Last week at Media Day, Mark Richt praised Blades for bringing an intense competitiveness to practice every day.
“It’s just my personality as far as competition goes,” Blades said on Richt’s comments. “The receivers’ scholarships are getting paid just like my scholarship is getting paid. I know they’re great, so I just attack every day and try not to get beat, and get better.”
Aside from three returnees at the position, the cornerback group is all freshmen and is extremely inexperienced coming into 2018. With the guidance of Mike Rumph, though, Blades believes the young UM corners will be just fine.
“Coach Rumph has a great relationship with every last corner he has, he loves us as players, but he loves us as men first over anything,” Blades said. “It’s really great to have someone that cares about you and your mental health, as well as you physically playing on the field. We’re going to be hard to handle.”
What’s the biggest difference coming to the college game from high school?
“It’s very fast paced,” Blades said. “I’d say my biggest freshman moment came in the first scrimmage. I was playing man coverage coming across the middle covering the receiver, but it was a run play and a tight end came up and reach blocked me, he got me pretty good.”
As a UM legacy recruit, Blades was always ticketed to end up at Miami. However, the culture that Richt has fostered in the Hurricanes program was a big attraction to Blades, and he says that environment has held true in his first few months in Coral Gables.
“In the recruiting process, I never really paid attention to the outside talk, because the proof is in the pudding,” Blades said. “You come to the schools and you can see what’s happening, you can talk to the players, see how things are. I already kind of knew what was expected of me coming in here and wherever you go, it’s going to be hard work and it’s going to take you being the man you have to be to get through it.”
The Canes will open their 2018 season against #25 LSU in Arlington, Texas in less than 2 weeks. What has Blades been seeing from the Tigers’ defense?
“I watched tape on a couple receivers at LSU,” Blades said. “In practice, coach Rumph does a great job of preparing us for what we’re going to see. I think we’re going to be ready. We’re just ready to go out and play.”
