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Jermaine Whitehead: How Losing Senior Safety Will Impact Tigers

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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Dec 7, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive back Jermaine Whitehead (9) celebrates his interception with defensive lineman Gabe Wright (90) during the second quarter of the 2013 SEC Championship game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

In case you missed it yesterday evening, Auburn Tigers senior field safety Jermaine Whitehead did not make the trip to Kansas with the rest of the team. Rumors have been circulating as to what exactly caused Whitehead to miss the trip, but one thing we know for sure is that he is not going to be in uniform for the Tigers tonight against Kansas State.

From a player personnel standpoint, losing Whitehead hurts. K-State has a very balanced offense that is capable of churning up big yardage and points both on the ground and through the air.

The Wildcats have a dual threat quarterback in Jake Waters, two strong running backs DeMarcus Robinson and Charles Jones, and Tyler Lockett is one of the best wide receivers in all of college football. As a safety, Whitehead had a big hand in stopping both the rushing attack and the passing game.

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Now in his fourth year receiving significant playing time, Whitehead has accumulated 194 career tackles and has started 29 games, including all 14 in 2013 and both this season. Whitehead had two interceptions as a junior and has already matched that total this season, including the one he took back for a touchdown against Arkansas that was a huge play in the season opener.

The senior is not only the most experienced defensive back on the roster; he could be the most important. According to Joel A. Erickson, Whitehead has played 122 snaps across the first two games, which is more than any other Auburn defensive player. Now, he’ll be watching the Tigers on ESPN like the rest of us.

So what does it mean for Auburn’s secondary?

According to the official Auburn depth chart, true freshman Stephen Roberts is the backup field safety. If Roberts is the only player that has seen significant practice time at field safety, he is likely to start and play often. However, Roberts has not played much in the first two games (only 16 snaps against San Jose State), and defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has rotated several players through the defensive backfield to this point. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe a more experienced player could be ready to play field safety tonight.

The most likely choice appears to be moving Rudy Ford from his starting boundary safety position to the field, and sliding junior Derrick Moncrief into the boundary where he has played and practiced since joining the team this spring. Ford has played very well thus far after beating Moncrief for the starting spot in fall camp and he should be comfortable on the field side of the formation. Additionally, we may see more of the 3-3-5 alignment that features both Stars Justin Garrett and Robenson Therezie.

With tonight’s matchup on the road against K-State, the loss of Whitehead is actually more than an issue of who will replace him on the field. Whitehead is a senior and presumably a leader on the defense, if not for the entire team. If his actions did in fact involve disrespecting an assistant coach, as has been rumored, it shows signs of a bigger problem.

Another option is to move Joshua Holsey back to safety from his cornerback position. Holsey saw significant playing time at safety early in the 2013 season before he injured his knee, and he has played there sparingly in the first two games of 2014. However, if he has not practiced there much this fall, it would be difficult to rely on Holsey in a prime time Thursday night game, on the road, against a ranked opponent.

And that brings us to the most important thing to consider. With tonight’s matchup on the road against K-State, the loss of Whitehead is actually more than an issue of who will replace him on the field. Whitehead is a senior and presumably a leader on the defense, if not for the entire team. If his actions did in fact involve disrespecting an assistant coach, as has been rumored, it shows signs of a bigger problem.

Coaches are not perfect, and I have no way of knowing what was said, or when or why. However, when a senior leader disrespects a member of the coaching staff, it has an impact on other players, and specifically younger ones. If a squabble occurred in front of other players, it could have damaging effects on the level of respect between players and coaches, not just tonight but for years to come.

Young players look up to seniors like Whitehead, and if they saw him arguing with an assistant coach, it is natural for them to choose sides. Some players may side with the coach, but others will certainly choose to stick with the player because of the bonds they have built in the locker room and on the field. Then, those players may then also lose respect for the coach in question or the staff as a whole. Those thoughts and beliefs will carry through until the player leaves campus. A freshman will be impacted by this incident for four or five more years as a member of the team.

And, the way the coaching staff decided to handle the situation is also interesting to note, and could muddy things even further. Whitehead was left at home and will not play at all tonight against K-State. That is a pretty harsh penalty by the standards that have been set this season. While it may certainly have been necessary or warranted, the (at least) one game suspension does not exactly jive with other disciplinary actions we have seen from head coach Gus Malzahn in 2014.

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    • Nick Marshall and Jonathan Mincy did not miss an entire game for their marijuana related actions, which could send a mixed message to players on the team. Legal issues, including one citation and one arrest, caused two players to miss a half and a series, respectively. A shouting match, or whatever it was, that involved Whitehead causes him to miss one of the biggest non-conference games of the season?

    But more importantly than the level of discipline the coaching staff used with Whitehead or Marshall or Mincy is the fact that anything had to be done.

    All three players are seniors and this event with Whitehead continues a troubling trend of veteran leaders getting themselves into trouble and missing playing time. But worse than missing a game, or a half or a series is the message these “leaders” are sending to other players in the program.

    Every player on a football team needs to look out for one another, and experienced players should lead by example. When a trio of seniors makes selfish mistakes, such as breaking the law or disrespecting a member of the coaching staff, it affects the team not only on the field, but it messes with team chemistry.

    The Tigers will miss Jermaine Whitehead on the field tonight in Manhattan, but the biggest impact of this incident will be felt off the field.

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