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DC.com| Ball Taking Ownership Of Free Safety Spot
Rowan Kavner
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
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OXNARD, Calif. - Few questions surround the Cowboys as they begin the second half of training camp in Oxnard.
With 10 of 11 defensive starters returning from last year, the majority of the roster isn't a mystery. The lone unknown on defense is how safety Alan Ball, who is beginning his first full season as a starter, will contribute.
Ball hasn't made any spectacular plays in the first two games of the preseason, but he hasn't made any noticeable mistakes, either. And the coaching staff has been pleased with how well he's meshed with the rest of the secondary.
Ball, a converted cornerback, doesn't see himself as an uncertainty. Confidence radiates from the former 2007 seventh-round pick from Illinois.
"I don't think we have any questions," Ball said. "We know what we have on the inside. Everybody's confident in each other, and I think everybody wants to play with each other."
Safety Ken Hamlin recorded five interceptions his first season with the Cowboys in 2007. But he found himself in free agency in 2010 after grabbing only one interception his final two seasons in Dallas.
Ball, who won back-to-back 110-meter hurdles state titles in high school, provides ample speed for a safety. Only four teams had fewer interceptions than the Cowboys' 11 last season, and Ball's focused on raising that count.
"We've got to do a better job of breaking on the ball, finding the ball, knowing where we're going," Ball said. "It's a lot of film work."
While Hamlin started the majority of the 2009 season at safety, Ball isn't a newcomer to the position. He started three games at free safety after an ankle injury sidelined Hamlin, and Ball said the experience and poise he gained are invaluable.
"It helped me out a lot," Ball said. "It's one of those things where you just build confidence. Everybody knows they can play the game, but once you get out there and you're actually playing, you're out there with the first team, you're out there with those guys communicating and working with them, it helps your confidence a lot."
Ball's lack of NFL starts doesn't trouble strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh. He said Ball makes few mental errors and has ample familiarity with the Cowboys' defense after three seasons in Dallas.
Sensabaugh doesn't expect Ball to be acceptable. He expects him to be exceptional.
"I played quite a few games with Ball last year," Sensabaugh said. "He did a great job just keeping it level, making plays. He's been sound. He knows the defense. He's going to be a good player for us. I expect him to do big things."
Ball said he's already developed chemistry with Sensabaugh and Pro Bowl cornerbacks Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins. He said all four of them play off each other, and the development of the secondary can only grow stronger throughout the season.
"I like working with Gerald a lot, because he's a talker, and he's smart," Ball said. "He's a thinker out there. He definitely knows what's going on, and it helps me a lot, because I like to see things ahead of time."
Head coach Wade Phillips said Ball showed great instincts last season and has caught on quickly to the position.
"Ball's made the transition pretty well," Phillips said. "I think part of it is his athletic ability, and he's so much faster than most free safeties that he can overlap plays and if someone breaks out of there, he can catch him."
Secondary coach Dave Campo said Ball's quickness and coverage ability make him a perfect candidate to create turnovers. Campo said he was more concerned about Ball's tackling ability, but the few games Ball played in last season removed much of his doubt.
He said Ball has progressed specifically in his open-field tackling and getting in proper tackling position.
"In the three games he started for us last year, he made tremendous strides from the first game to the third game," Campo said. "That to me was the biggest indicator that he could do what we were going to ask him to do, because he has all the other skills.
"He can run and get the ball. He's got pretty good vision. He's getting better with his instincts and being able to see the whole field and react to the different route combinations."
Part of adjusting to the safety position is reading the field from a center fielder's point of view. Ball said safeties have to know what's coming and where to be on every play.
Just as essential is the ability to react without thinking. Ball said the most talented safeties are the ones who react in a moment's notice.
"You have to do a little bit of reading," Ball said. "But as time goes on, you'll get to the point where you'll get a feel for everything that's going on. You can just react. But I'll definitely say I've got a lot of work to do."
Ball is also beginning to develop the build of a safety. Initially drafted as a cornerback, Ball said he was between 165 and 170 pounds when joining the Cowboys. He bulked up after making the switch to safety, entering training camp this year listed at 195 pounds.
He has every intention of being the game changer the Cowboys are looking for. But he knows it's not just about him - it's about the entire defense linking as a unit.
"We've got a great offense," Ball said. "We definitely want to get as many opportunities to get the ball in their hands as possible. Whether it's third downs and getting guys off the field, whether it's interceptions, whether it's fumbles, as many opportunities as we can to get the ball back to the offense, that's what we want to do."
Rowan Kavner
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
OXNARD, Calif. - Few questions surround the Cowboys as they begin the second half of training camp in Oxnard.
With 10 of 11 defensive starters returning from last year, the majority of the roster isn't a mystery. The lone unknown on defense is how safety Alan Ball, who is beginning his first full season as a starter, will contribute.
Ball hasn't made any spectacular plays in the first two games of the preseason, but he hasn't made any noticeable mistakes, either. And the coaching staff has been pleased with how well he's meshed with the rest of the secondary.
Ball, a converted cornerback, doesn't see himself as an uncertainty. Confidence radiates from the former 2007 seventh-round pick from Illinois.
"I don't think we have any questions," Ball said. "We know what we have on the inside. Everybody's confident in each other, and I think everybody wants to play with each other."
Safety Ken Hamlin recorded five interceptions his first season with the Cowboys in 2007. But he found himself in free agency in 2010 after grabbing only one interception his final two seasons in Dallas.
Ball, who won back-to-back 110-meter hurdles state titles in high school, provides ample speed for a safety. Only four teams had fewer interceptions than the Cowboys' 11 last season, and Ball's focused on raising that count.
"We've got to do a better job of breaking on the ball, finding the ball, knowing where we're going," Ball said. "It's a lot of film work."
While Hamlin started the majority of the 2009 season at safety, Ball isn't a newcomer to the position. He started three games at free safety after an ankle injury sidelined Hamlin, and Ball said the experience and poise he gained are invaluable.
"It helped me out a lot," Ball said. "It's one of those things where you just build confidence. Everybody knows they can play the game, but once you get out there and you're actually playing, you're out there with the first team, you're out there with those guys communicating and working with them, it helps your confidence a lot."
Ball's lack of NFL starts doesn't trouble strong safety Gerald Sensabaugh. He said Ball makes few mental errors and has ample familiarity with the Cowboys' defense after three seasons in Dallas.
Sensabaugh doesn't expect Ball to be acceptable. He expects him to be exceptional.
"I played quite a few games with Ball last year," Sensabaugh said. "He did a great job just keeping it level, making plays. He's been sound. He knows the defense. He's going to be a good player for us. I expect him to do big things."
Ball said he's already developed chemistry with Sensabaugh and Pro Bowl cornerbacks Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins. He said all four of them play off each other, and the development of the secondary can only grow stronger throughout the season.
"I like working with Gerald a lot, because he's a talker, and he's smart," Ball said. "He's a thinker out there. He definitely knows what's going on, and it helps me a lot, because I like to see things ahead of time."
Head coach Wade Phillips said Ball showed great instincts last season and has caught on quickly to the position.
"Ball's made the transition pretty well," Phillips said. "I think part of it is his athletic ability, and he's so much faster than most free safeties that he can overlap plays and if someone breaks out of there, he can catch him."
Secondary coach Dave Campo said Ball's quickness and coverage ability make him a perfect candidate to create turnovers. Campo said he was more concerned about Ball's tackling ability, but the few games Ball played in last season removed much of his doubt.
He said Ball has progressed specifically in his open-field tackling and getting in proper tackling position.
"In the three games he started for us last year, he made tremendous strides from the first game to the third game," Campo said. "That to me was the biggest indicator that he could do what we were going to ask him to do, because he has all the other skills.
"He can run and get the ball. He's got pretty good vision. He's getting better with his instincts and being able to see the whole field and react to the different route combinations."
Part of adjusting to the safety position is reading the field from a center fielder's point of view. Ball said safeties have to know what's coming and where to be on every play.
Just as essential is the ability to react without thinking. Ball said the most talented safeties are the ones who react in a moment's notice.
"You have to do a little bit of reading," Ball said. "But as time goes on, you'll get to the point where you'll get a feel for everything that's going on. You can just react. But I'll definitely say I've got a lot of work to do."
Ball is also beginning to develop the build of a safety. Initially drafted as a cornerback, Ball said he was between 165 and 170 pounds when joining the Cowboys. He bulked up after making the switch to safety, entering training camp this year listed at 195 pounds.
He has every intention of being the game changer the Cowboys are looking for. But he knows it's not just about him - it's about the entire defense linking as a unit.
"We've got a great offense," Ball said. "We definitely want to get as many opportunities to get the ball in their hands as possible. Whether it's third downs and getting guys off the field, whether it's interceptions, whether it's fumbles, as many opportunities as we can to get the ball back to the offense, that's what we want to do."