he instantly became the top Irish nickel
back last season.
"It helped a lot just because I got
game-time experience," reflected Shumate on his experience as the nickel. "I
was able to learn and watch Zeke as he
was putting me in the best position in a
game and see how he was doing, and
now have the role that he played."
At nickel, Shumate was in an ideal
role in 2012 because it was a way to
get his skills on the field without overwhelming him with myriad assignments he would have had at safety and,
Shumate never experienced a loss during his high school career, and he then helped the Irish to a 12-0
start while serving as the team's nickel back as a freshman last year.
photo by bill panzica
