Maturation, physicality helps Reggie Pearson ride wave to first-team reps
MADISON - Late in the week just before Wisconsin opened up its 2018 campaign against Western Kentucky, first-year safety Reggie Pearson went up to make a play. That, unfortunately, started an injury-riddled freshman season for the former three-star prospect.
"The day or the day before the first game, I went up and broke up a ball. As I was coming down, I landed straight on my heel and tore a part of my foot," Pearson told BadgerBlitz.com last week. "That set me out for the four weeks, and I was recovering over the bye. I came back in the Michigan and relapsed on the same injury. It kind of like threw me for a loop."
According to the Inkster, Mich., native, the injury "kind of set me a long way back" and frustration hovered. Pearson admitted he had a "really negative mindset" last season.
Flash-forward to August 2019, and my how things have changed.
Pearson built an impressive spring practice resumé. In the eight sessions open to media this fall camp, he found himself working in first-team reps at safety alongside Scott Nelson in a tandem that could start the season against South Florida on Aug. 30.
"[Nelson’s] a great player, so it’s definitely good just to be there with the first team, but I never see it as, ‘This is permanent,' " Pearson said. "Everything to me is like temporary so just staying hungry, stay grinding with it and just making sure I don’t let up on anybody and just keep pulling forward.”
Under a new NCAA rule, Pearson did not burn his redshirt as he only played four games last season. He started one of those contests, a road game at Michigan where he flashed his potential in tallying five tackles, one for loss and a forced fumble before bowing out to the same aforementioned heel injury.
Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard mentioned Pearson has always been physical, but it has been the second-year player's maturity that "has kicked up tremendously."
"Last year, he struggled. He was going to have a role and going through injuries, just kind of up and down, and mentally it was a little bit hard on him," Leonhard said. "Then in the spring, I think he really settled in and learned the game. Learned what we do and why we do it, and he’s playing really confident right now.
"The physicality’s always been there from Day 1, so we're excited about that and just trying to expand what he can do and putting him in a lot of different situations right now to see what he can handle.”
Leonhard pointed to not just the injury but other factors contributing to Pearson's mental mindset last season, but also complimented how the current redshirt freshman has bounced back.
“I think school, everything, just the transition to college in a number of different ways," Leonhard said. "That was difficult when I think he saw opportunities, and he was making the most of them and all of a sudden, kind of going through that roller coaster in a season. Getting on the field and starting a game and playing well and having another injury and a setback. All of that is extremely difficult on guys.
"Maturity-wise, he learned from that, and he’s grown and [I've] just loved his approach ever since the season ended last year."
Pearson stated that knowing himself helped him push forward. His spring performance showed what he could bring to the defense with that physical play, along with making interceptions and breaking up passes.
The safety also echoed Leonhard's comments on settling in and learning the Wisconsin defense, noting how he became comfortable during those practices. That appears to have helped propel him into the situation he has found himself during fall camp.
"Knowing my calls and knowing what I can do to make a play to help me out," Pearson said. "I think that’s definitely the main aspect that helped us now. Really just maintaining is the big thing for me, personally, and constantly just building. It's nothing crazy.”
The combinations of Pearson and Nelson and redshirt sophomore Eric Burrell and Houston transfer Collin Wilder appeared to patrol the defensive backfield as a solid two-deep of safeties in the eight practices open to the media in August.
Junior Madison Cone joined the safety room officially on the fall camp roster and came over from the cornerback spot but still can work in the slot as a nickel back. There is a flexibility and well-rounded nature within the players in the group.
“Kind of reminds you of when we had D’Cota [Dixon], Leo [Musso], ‘Trell’ [Natrell Jamerson], and so we’re very versatile," Pearson said. "Like I play safety and nickel every now and then, Scott sometimes goes to nickel. It’s even more exciting when we get a corner to come to safety, knowing that he play in the post, come down and stuff. We’re a pretty versatile group."
When he does play in nickel situations, there are some similarities but also differences from playing at safety.
“I would say you still got to come down and tackle for sure. It’s closer tackle fits," Pearson said. "Coverage-wise, it’s a little different coming from certain leverages and stuff. It’s a little different. You got to win certain spaces, so it’s kind of similar but different.”
Depending upon how his performance during the final week of fall camp, the 5-foot-10, 197-pound Pearson could find himself starting down in Tampa next week. South Florida hired Kerwin Bell as its new offensive coordinator in the offseason. In his time at Division II program Valdosta State the Blazers averaged 52 points per game last season.
“Every aspect is looking great," Pearson said. "Communication is great right now. Just as we move [forward], making sure we’re on the same page. If maybe we miss something, we know for the next time when we go to film, we talk about it, we chat it up and just building off of that. It definitely makes us stronger.
"Not only the first-team [defense], just the team in general, we’re doing great. Just coming off of the greatest summer we have ever had, it's just now we know our expectations are high, so just keep building on that.”
