No one on the corner has swagger like us

Before every game during the football season, senior defensive back Najja Johnson is focused on preparing to take on his opponent.

He straps on his shoulder pads, laces up his cleats and makes sure everything looks good. Just before he is ready to take the field, however, he gathers his favorite accessory.

He turns to his counterpart, junior defensive back Cortney Lester, who gives Johnson the extra touch of style and flare he needs before the game.

"Before games, he's always asking me: 'You got that one sleeve?'" Lester said. "And I'm like: 'Yeah, I got you, man,' and I give it to him."

Johnson knows his play can speak for itself, but he and the other defensive backs agree that to perform their best, they must look their best.

"[The style is] all Cortney," Johnson said. "I'm his sidekick; he's Superman."

The two lock-down corners provide elegance to arguably one of the most difficult positions on the football field. When they are not exchanging armbands and compliments, they are creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

Johnson finished last season with impressive stats: 43 tackles, five interceptions and six pass breakups. He fared well among ball sharks in the conference, finishing tied for fifth in passes defended (nine) and leading in interceptions - his five ranked 13th in the nation.

Lester's four picks landed him right behind Johnson on the conference interceptions list.

Some fans felt both were snubbed when they were not selected to any of the All-MAC teams.

"We both felt that we played pretty well, especially toward the end of the season," Johnson said. "I thought we should have been on that list. But we don't make the decisions. All we can do is play harder next season."

Lester agreed, but he said the situation will not affect his play this coming season.

"I mean, accolades will be accolades," Lester said. "But really our mindset is just be the best for the game, be the best for that week. We do have a chip on our shoulder."

With more depth this season, there are high hopes that the Bulls will compete for a MAC Championship. Last season, the Bulls' defense ranked second in the conference in pass defense, allowing only 206.5 yards per game through the air, including a game against Pittsburgh Oct. 20 in which it held quarterback Tino Sunseri to just 128 yards.

"Being more experienced is definitely a plus for us," Johnson said. "We're playing faster this spring. It's more of a review for us, and learning the defense, which is great. It allows us to hold each other more accountable."

Senior Okoye Houston and junior Witney Sherry will be battling for the tight safety position this year. Both began last season as starters but were plagued with injuries, resulting in missed time.

In their absence, junior Derek Brim, senior Adam Redden and sophomore Marqus Baker stepped in to fill the void.

Brim finished the season with 47 tackles, appearing in all 12 games and making five starts. Redden appeared in 10 games. Baker appeared in 10 games for the Bulls and totaled 17 tackles and six pass breakups.

"We have a lot of people that can play; everybody knows that," Lester said. "We have probably nine DBs in a room. All of them can play, and we can be replaced at any time."

Naturally, they aren't huge fans of any quarterbacks in the conference. Nothing makes them happier than seeing the disgust on the face of a quarterback after succumbing to their defense.

"There are a couple quarterbacks in the league I don't like; actually, I don't like any of them," Johnson said. "It feels good when you pick off the ones you really don't like. I'm not going to mention any teams ... it feels good when you pick them off."

There is one thing Johnson and Lester want the conference to know for certain.

"Our secondary is the most swagger-ific secondary in the MAC," Johnson said. "I'm excited. We are all confident. We know we have a talented group of individuals. I'm excited for this season."

Fans have four months until they can see the secondary in legitimate game action, though the Blue-White scrimmage will take place April 20 at 2 p.m. at UB Stadium.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com