Eric Berry, Key Part Of New Kansas City Chiefs Defense
By Zach Ragan
Nov 1, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry (29) during the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Eric Berry will likely go down as one of the greatest defensive backs in Tennessee history, if not the history of the SEC.
During Berry’s time at Tennessee he was a two-time All American, twice All-SEC, two time Jack Tatum trophy award winner and winner of the Jim Thorpe trophy in 2009.
The Kansas City Chiefs ended up selecting Berry with the 5th pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.
Berry made an immediate impact as a rookie with the Chiefs, he led the team in interceptions (4) and was voted to the pro-bowl.
The former Vol missed almost the entire 2011 season with a torn ACL, but he returned to form in 2012 and was elected to his second pro-bowl.
In 2013 Berry will be adjusting to yet another defensive coordinator in the NFL.
Bob Sutton was hired as Kansas City’s new defensive coordinator after Andy Reid took over as head coach this off-season. Sutton runs a more complex then what Berry and the Chiefs are use to playing. He spent the last 13 seasons with Jets as a defensive coach and brings that same philosophy to the Chiefs.
Eric Berry pointed out Sutton’s new approach during a media session following OTA’s last week.
"Coach Sutton, he comes into meetings making sure we know the defense. There are a lot of moving parts to it, so for us as players and just as a defensive back, we are really trying to make sure we have everything down and everything in the right direction. This is my fifth defensive coordinator since college, so the adjustment isn’t really hard for me. I’ve been through the transition. It’s just studying a lot and watching film and making sure we have the chemistry."
Sutton’s defense will be particularly daunting for the defensive backs. The team will blitz more and as Berry said there will be a lot of moving parts, a point he reiterated several times during OTA’s.
With a new defense comes a learning curve and plenty of adjustments. Berry admitted that he loves the challenge and the responsibility of learning the new defense. He said his nights have been filled stuck in his playbook, learning all the positions and coverages.
The Chiefs are in the middle of rebuilding their team under new head coach Andy Reid. He’s got a solid core of defensive players and Eric Berry is perfect player to lead the Chiefs defense during this transition.
You might think that kind of pressure would overwhelm most 24 year olds, but not Berry.
"It’s not overwhelming, it’s defense, this is what I do"
It’s a simple quote, but one that expresses much more than the 10 words spoken. Berry has the confidence, talent, knowledge and leadership skills to be one of the dominant players of his generation.
Eric Berry is definitely a player that all Tennessee fans should be proud to call a Vol.