Two attributes all college-football coaches want in their cornerbacks are experience and confidence.
If the cornerback doesn't have the first, he's pretty much worthless without the second.
The experience should come in time for Kenny Okoro, a redshirt freshman who made his first start at cornerback Saturday for Wake Forest. Barring injury or any unforeseen off-the-field issues, Okoro will play a great deal of football for the Deacons.
But what excited Coach Jim Grobe and the Wake Forest staff was the confidence Okoro exuded against N.C. State. Even after allowing quarterback Russell Wilson to complete several short passes on out routes in the first half, Okoro got better as the game progressed until he thwarted the final Wolfpack drive by intercepting a Wilson pass in the end zone.
"I know what player I am," Okoro said. "And I know playing in the ACC, playing Division I football, that's going to happen sometimes.
"But you still just, as a (defensive back), have a short-term memory, and you've got to go out there and be optimistic and know your chance will come."
Grobe said after the game that lack of confidence has never been a problem for Okoro. On Tuesday, once again, he compared Okoro, in that regard, to perhaps the greatest cornerback to ever play for Wake Forest.
"He's got a little bit of Alphonso in him," Grobe said, referring to Alphonso Smith, the ACC's all-time leader in interceptions. "We haven't played him enough for me to really give you an assessment yet, but my sense (is) he, like Alphonso, is hoping that you'll throw it his way.
"There are a lot of kids who will go out there on the corner, and they're praying that the ball wasn't coming in their direction. Kenny just seems to be one of those kids that likes to play and likes the action and hopes you give him a chance to make a play."
Wilson completed most of his passes against Okoro with the Deacons blitzing and Okoro in man coverage, a far more demanding strategy for a cornerback than zone coverage. In man coverage, a cornerback knows it's him against the receiver, may the best man win.
It's the way Okoro loves to play.
"I love being in single coverage, being on an island by myself," Okoro said.
"It's basically showing who's man over man, showing who's dominant. It's a very important role right there, a very key role. Being out there by yourself, there's no help. It shows the true skills as a receiver and a DB."
Okoro's full name is Chibuikem Kenneth Okoro. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Richmond and Patricia Okoro, his first name means "God is My Strength" in his parents' native language.
He's considering a career in medicine, with the idea that he might like to return to Nigeria to volunteer his services. He has been there once, visiting the Ebo State when he was about 7 years old. He has a return trip tentatively scheduled for the Christmas break, but he admits he wouldn't mind having to postpone it to play in a bowl.
He hopes his second trip will be as enjoyable as his first.
"I remember it vividly," Okoro said. "I remember playing around with my cousins out there on the sand, playing soccer. I remember climbing trees and chasing after lizards. When I went down there, they were sleeping with doors open, wide open. So it was kind of weird for me. I remember getting chased by dogs.
"It was a fun experience, though."
dcollins@wsjournal.com.
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