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PROVO — For a secondary adjusting to new additions and players returning from injuries, safety Craig Bills has provided BYU with consistent leadership.
The senior has the ability to play both the Kat safety position and free safety, but it’s how he carries himself on the field that offers guidance to his teammates.
“You won’t have a better leader than Craig,” defensive lineman Remington Peck said. “As Craig kind of steps in that leadership role of Danny (Sorensen), you won’t hear much from him. But he’s an awesome leader and you know what you’re going to get.”
Along with possibly Robertson Daniel, BYU coaches have given the impression that Bills is one of the only defensive backs currently penciled in on the depth chart as a lock to be starting from day one.
Bills said he’s always been someone who prefers his actions to say more than words.
“I think it just comes naturally. I think you kind of assume the role of a leader,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve really focused on doing anything different. I feel like I’ve just been myself.”
This is my team. I'm excited for this last year. These are my guys.
–Craig Bills
Referring to his teammates as friends that he’s grown close to since he became a Cougar and while he was preparing for his LDS mission, Bills has no problem accepting the responsibility.
“This is my team. I’m excited for this last year. These are my guys,” he said.
He added that he strives to integrate newcomers into that fold as soon as they arrive.
“I’ve seen the young guys come in, and just the work that they’ve put in, I love them,” Bills said. “I love the players on this team. It’s exciting to see. I do consider them my team.”
Defensive coordinator Nick Howell has an athletic group to choose from when filling out the rest of the depth chart.
That list includes Nebraska transfer Harvey Jackson, who Trent Trammell — making his way back from a knee injury that sidelined him for all of last season and also bidding for playing time — touted after BYU’s Tuesday practice.
“(He’s) highly intelligent, very athletic,” Trammell said of Jackson. “He picked up the defense like that, so I’d just say his best (attribute) is football knowledge, football smarts. He’s always in the right spot.”
Jackson is involved in a camp battle for minutes at safety with multiple defensive backs. Skye PoVey and Dallin Leavitt hold the most experience — PoVey played in 13 games in 2013 and Leavitt appeared in 12 — but head coach Bronco Mendenhall said Kai Nacua “has the inside track” right now.
No matter who accompanies him, Bills said he has confidence in each of the competitors.
Meanwhile, Jordan Johnson, like Trammell, said his knee is 100 percent. The two figure to be the front-runners for the corner spot opposite Daniel.
“I’m not the rah-rah guy, the guy that everybody looks to. I’m quiet and reserved,” Johnson said. “When it comes down to it, if we really need that play, I’m for sure going to be the guy to look to.”
We're the best athletes on the field.
–Trent Trammell
Johnson said Bills already occupies the role of the energy guy. Trammell reinforced Johnson’s sentiment about Bills, and was full of confidence as to his own prospects.
“We’re the best athletes on the field,” Trammell said of the secondary.
He noted that the contest for a starting job is so up in the air at this point, anyone could win it.
Michael Davis, transitioning from wide receiver to defensive back, had one of the highlights in the most recent portion of practice open to media viewing with an interception off Taysom Hill, which he returned for a touchdown.
Chris Badger trumped Davis in appearances by one game last season with 10 total, and also appears to be right in the mix.
Trammell said that with so many moving parts, the group is focused on building chemistry.
“Trusting each other, assignments, playing together,” he said of the priorities. “We’ve all got to play together as one.”
That task is made somewhat easier by the philosophy Howell has preached involving his secondary to know and be capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of one another.
Of course, Bills’ presence significantly helps — an anchor for a unit in flux.
