Corner questions authorities
Bills rookie eager to learn
Every night, Reggie Corner’s routine was the same.
When the players’ meeting ended, the Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback returned to his room at the St. John Fisher training camp and studied his playbook. Then he thought of questions to ask the veterans, such as Terrance McGee, Jabari Greer and Will James.
“I learn something different from them every day,” Corner said. “I constantly ask Will questions, I constantly ask Jabari questions — I’m pretty sure they’re tired of me asking all these questions but it never hurts to ask. I make mistakes every day, I’m not going to lie to you, but I don’t like making the same mistakes over and over.”
This is where Corner is trying to become a professional football player. Ask a bunch of questions and learn from the mistakes.
As an All-Mid-American Conference defensive back from Akron, Corner was drafted in the fourth round this year as the Bills were looking to upgrade their talent at cornerback.
“On tape as far as a college player, he was probably the most technically sound guy we evaluated,” said Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. “He was just small. He was at the University of Akron, but he played big versus Ohio State and Indiana. He has such a great desire to learn and wants to be good. It’s probably a surprise to Reggie more so than it is to us.”
Throughout training camp, Corner, a 5- foot-9, 180-pounder from Canton, Ohio, had more good moments than bad. His instincts were been solid and his coverage skills were better than expected. He quickly picked up the terminology of the Bills’ defense.
“Reggie has done a nice job, is very competitive and a very tough guy,” said coach Dick Jauron. “Not much seems to bother him in terms of competing. I don’t want to say that he doesn’t worry. He is relatively quiet around me so I don’t hear him complaining or talking much about anything, to be honest with you. He says hello and he works hard. We really like him as a player and we liked him on tape. I haven’t seen anything to change my mind.”
The competition at cornerback is one of the best of preseason. McGee and Greer are the starters, James is capable of backing up both while Corner and fellow rookie Leodis McKelvin have also drawn praise. Ashton Youboty is also in the mix.
“I would say [Corner] certainly doesn’t struggle learning,” Jauron said. “He has done a nice job there. We just like him, I like him as a player and I think he has a good chance to play on this team and play in the league.”
If there has been a constant in Corner’s path to the pros, it has been self-discipline and hard work.
“My whole life I’ve been competing, from high school to college to now,” said Corner, one of five children in his family. “My competitiveness comes out regardless who I’m going against whether it’s the first string or second string.”
He didn’t play cornerback until his sophomore year at Akron when he converted from wide receiver. He felt a smoother path to the NFL was at defensive back.
“I wanted to switch,” he said. “I could always play it, I always had a knack for it and I could always do it. It seems to be working out good.”
