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Rice University Athletics
Unfortunate Circumstance, Wonderful Opportunity
10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 23, 2009
By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
The competitive spirit within Xavier Webb longed for this opportunity, but not under these circumstances, not due to the demise of his mentor.
Webb will make his first career start against UCF on Saturday at Historic Rice Stadium, quite the accomplishment for a sophomore just one year removed from making a sudden switch to the defensive side of the ball. His progress was slow and steady as a freshman, measured steps for an athlete who starred at quarterback for Montgomery High School.
Giant leaps followed during spring drills and fall camp, with Webb developing so rapidly that he secured a spot on the depth chart at free safety and graduated from his prior role as a special teams contributor only. He played sparingly as a reserve through the first six games, serving as understudy to four-year starter and senior stalwart Andrew Sendejo until the unthinkable happened last weekend at East Carolina.
Sendejo heard a pop in his ankle while engaged in the action, an injury so severe Webb might start the final five games of this season. This is what Webb wanted, but not how he wanted it. His is a serious quandary.
"In these circumstances I do feel bad for Andrew," Webb said. "It's his senior year and he's done for the season due to injury. But I am excited for the opportunity to finally get a chance to get a substantial amount of playing time at safety.
"I've been put in the perfect situation to sit behind Andrew, who is the perfect example of a good leader, and watch everything he does. He prepared me for when it was my time to play, so at this point I'm pretty prepared for this opportunity."
Webb simply needed time to grow into the position. As a dual-threat high school quarterback, Webb was not equipped to make a seamless transition to defense. His tenacity was evident, which explains the modest success he enjoyed on special teams in 2008. But the responsibilities that come with playing free safety in the Owls' 4-2-5 scheme are myriad, so when Sendejo was lost to injury for three games last season, redshirt freshman Travis Bradshaw filled in and thrived, claiming a starting gig in the process and eventually shifting to another position in the secondary - KAT - where he now performs with distinction.
Webb's commitment was fortified by playing behind Sendejo, whose 318 career tackles rank second in program history. Sendejo started as a true freshman in 2006, paced the Owls in tackles as a sophomore and junior, and was poised to do the same this season before going down. Webb responded well when Sendejo was lost for a spell at Texas Tech, coming off the bench to post four tackles against the Red Raiders. Webb was forced into the lineup again last weekend at East Carolina, but now that Sendejo is gone, Webb's responsibilities have multiplied tenfold.
"He's going to have to play a complete game," Owls co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Craig Naivar said. "Now he'll be playing four quarters. It's not just a little bit but all the time."
The coaching staff has provided Webb a safety net in the form of junior strong safety Chris Jones, who will shift to free safety and share reps with Webb. Jones found himself in a similar situation as a true freshman in 2007 when, as the backup to veteran Bencil Smith, Jones was forced into the lineup when Smith suffered a season-ending foot injury in the opener against Nicholls State. Jones has been a starter ever since.
The plan is that Webb will respond similarly to Bradshaw and Jones.
"X has prepared hard and has played and has trained to be ready when his time comes," Rice coach David Bailiff said. "It came earlier than we wanted, but I feel good about how he's prepared and he's very confident when you talk to him."
Webb is aware of the fact that his performance against the Knights will serve as an audition of sorts. Bailiff has stockpiled athletic safeties during his brief tenure, and with the Owls set to graduate only four seniors on defense, position battles next spring are expected to be fierce. Webb will get first crack at gaining inside position as the free safety of the future, but the final five games could determine his long-range potential as a defensive starter. He is not alone in that regard.
"A lot of the guys here are young, so at this point with where we are in the season, this is a good opportunity for us to start things off right for next year," Webb said. "This is an opportunity for me to solidify my position at free safety."
It's an opportunity that came sooner than Webb expected under circumstances he wanted no part of. He's already made the adjustment from offense to defense, so consider the chore of replacing a revered senior leader as yet another unexpected yet embraceable challenge.
"Andrew's shoes are some big shoes to fill," Webb said.
