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panther-state wrote:As in your current Payton Award finalist QB...no longer plays QB for you or he plays both ways?

Skjellyfetti wrote:Payton finalist DeAndre Presley moved from QB to cornerback last Wednesday. He's now played QB, WR, DB, KR, PR in his Appalachian career.

He led the team with 6 solo tackles and had a forced fumble in his first game at CB after moving to his new position 3 days previously.

DJH wrote:Sounds like your QB flamed out and got benched, so they put him somewhere else. This happens everywhere...

Skjellyfetti wrote:

DJH wrote:Sounds like your QB flamed out and got benched, so they put him somewhere else. This happens everywhere...

Not aware of other cases of a player playing like this after switching a new position 3 days before. But, you're right. It's probably common and happens all the time.

SeattleGriz wrote:I bet he played DB in high school

DeAndre Presley had never played defensive back in his life.

But Presley, who had been replaced by Jamal Jackson after 18 straight starts as Appalachian State's quarterback, found himself as a starting cornerback on Saturday.

He was an instant and surprising hit, registering six tackles and forcing a fumble in the Mountaineers' 35-17 victory against Samford.

And he dished out some hits.

"I had one or two pretty big hits, at least to me," Presley said. "I got (Samford quarterback Dustin) Taliaferro near the sideline one time."

Before Saturday, Presley didn't like big hits.

"The thing is, I've been hit so much myself as a quarterback," he said. "I'm thinking, 'You know what, I want to do the hitting.' It's payback."

Presley, a senior and one of the fastest players on ASU's team, was adjusting to not being the starting quarterback — which couldn't be easy after such a stellar 2010 season, when he was named the Southern Conference's offensive player of the year.

He began working at cornerback last Wednesday, along with receiver Jamill Lott, to help shore up the Mountaineers' thin secondary.

"I told them I'd love to do it," Presley said.

He had just two full practices, on Wednesday and Thursday, and a walk-through on Friday.

"I asked a lot of questions, I'll tell you that," Presley said.

Presley started in a five-defensive-back package, played a lot and had the fourth-most number of tackles among ASU defenders.

He said that he was relaxed, had fun and enjoyed the fact all six of his tackles were unassisted.

"I got picked on all week that I wasn't going to hit anybody," Presley said. "My first tackle was a forced fumble. It actually felt good to be on the other side of the ball."

Coach Jerry Moore of the Mountaineers was just as pleased. "He's a good athlete; he can go do that. It worked out well. Now he has another week to prepare."

The Mountaineers worked redshirt freshman Kalik Barnes at No. 2 quarterback behind sophomore Jackson after Presley's conversion to cornerback, and running back Travaris Cadet took practice snaps out of a Wildcat formation.

Moore said that Presley will spend 90 percent of his time working in the secondary but added: "He could come back (to quarterback) in a ballgame. He's been doing it long enough he could do it."

Presley said that being quarterback provides helpful insight as a defensive back. He said that he is picking things up fairly quickly but still has a lot to learn and is relying on athletic ability.

"Samford's offense was similar to ours, so I was able to pick up on certain things," he said.

Presley said that he was surprised that he was not picked on by Samford more.

"Honestly, I was," Presley said. "When you get a new corner, somebody who hasn't played there before, you want to pick on that guy. I was expecting them to. I was ready for it."

Coach Pat Sullivan of Samford, who didn't have the benefit of foreknowledge that Presley would be at corner, said: "We were going to go out and do our game plan, and we know what kind of outstanding athlete DeAndre Presley is. We weren't going to go and pick on one guy."

Cornerback De’Andre Presley, a standout at Tampa Middleton High and Appalachain State, made arguably the most impressive play of the night when he returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first quarter. Presley fielded the punt, bounced off a defender and ran backward before reversing field and following his blockers.

Skjellyfetti wrote:

Cornerback De’Andre Presley, a standout at Tampa Middleton High and Appalachain State, made arguably the most impressive play of the night when he returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown with 21 seconds left in the first quarter. Presley fielded the punt, bounced off a defender and ran backward before reversing field and following his blockers.

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Skjellyfetti wrote:Payton finalist DeAndre Presley moved from QB to cornerback last Wednesday. He's now played QB, WR, DB, KR, PR in his Appalachian career.