Dukes' McCormick Hits Restart

HARRISONBURG — Wesley McCormick did something not every college football player gets to do or even recognizes as a favorable circumstance.

This past offseason, the James Madison cornerback hit restart.

“There were just some misunderstandings between the last coaching staff and myself,” McCormick said. “I did some things on the field where I was hardheaded and I guess it took me a while to learn to play at my best and play smarter, so I think that’s what kept me off the field.

“But luckily, I got it together and started learning a little bit faster when these new coaches came in and I used it as an opportunity.”

The 5-foot-11 junior secured himself a starting job in August training camp – beating out four other corners to do so – and hasn’t let the role go since.

Entering Saturday’s contest at Stony Brook, McCormick has 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass breakup. He had three tackles and a tackle for loss in JMU’s conference-opening win over Elon this past Saturday.

Before this season, McCormick had only started three times over the previous two years.

“In spring he was out there all the time,” first-year Dukes coach Curt Cignetti said, “but he was making mistakes here and there. There were things he had to improve on. Then, he had a great summer and he separated himself from everybody else in fall camp.”

And McCormick does not hold any ill will toward former Madison coach Mike Houston and his staff, but the lack of opinions and knowledge Cignetti and his assistants had when they first arrived about McCormick didn’t hurt the cornerback.

“I looked at it as an opportunity for a fresh start just to show these coaches that I felt like I could play,” McCormick said, “and hopefully earn their trust, so they also would feel that way about me. It’s been since then that I’ve tried my hardest to get on the field.”

JMU has needed McCormick to play above the level of a first-time starter through the first month of the season, too, with senior cornerback Rashad Robinson in and out of the lineup over the past few weeks.

Robinson, a 2017 All-American, suffered an injury during the second quarter of last month’s matchup with Morgan State and then did not play in the non-conference finale at Chattanooga only to return to action at Elon, but miss part of that game due to another injury.

“When he’s not on the field, I do have to help out more so in a mental way to make sure the younger [cornerbacks] are ready,” McCormick said.

McCormick doesn’t mind assisting Taurus Carroll or Willie Drew, though.

He said Robinson and former Dukes cornerback Jimmy Moreland, now with the Washington Redskins, taught him pivotal parts of playing the position the last few seasons.

“I’d say the biggest thing I learned from Jimmy is to go out there and play with confidence,” McCormick said. “Jimmy was a very confident person and seeing him go out there having fun with the game and loving the game so much that he just goes out there, has fun and he’s successful with it, that’s the biggest thing I picked up from Jimmy. And Rashad, I’m still with Rashad every day and I’m still learning from him now, but one thing I could say about ‘Shad is him being a student of the game. He breaks down film and studies the opponent.”

Cignetti said: “I think the light has turned on. [McCormick] sees his opportunity. I think a guy like that – and I’m speculating – but Jimmy Moreland making it in the NFL, Rashad getting all the accolades preseason that he’s gotten the last two years, maybe in his mind he can be the next one up.”

McCormick said he hopes the coaches and his teammates have noticed his work ethic because it’s what he believes has changed most in his career since the staff switch at JMU.

He said the different techniques cornerbacks coach Matt Birkett implemented has added to his press-style coverage, as well.

“I know from last season to this season I’ve had a long way to go,” McCormick said, “and I’ve came a long way since then. I’ve put in a lot of work to get to the point where I was at to the point that I’m at now and I know I still have a long way to go. But I’m continuing to stay consistent in my work and do everything I can do to make sure I’m the best player I can be.”

Cignetti said McCormick has plenty of talent also.

“He’s got physical ability,” Cignetti said. “He’s a real strong guy. He’s big, strong. He’s very fast.

“And day in, day out consistency, coming to work every day focused and improving can go a long way, and that’s what he’s done. He’s been out there every practice just about and works his butt off and gets better and coaches around the league are noticing him, too.”