“I’m going to go in there and work hard and try to earn a spot and it’s a great defense for DBs. It allows you to make a bunch of plays.” Those were the words Karl Joseph said when he committed to WVU about a year and a half ago. It’s safe to say that he’s both earned a spot and made plays. In his sophomore season, he’ll be looking to do the exact same thing, but even better.
Joseph has done nothing but draw praise from his teammates and his coaches alike since coming to West Virginia. As soon as he stepped on the field, he made big plays. Whether it was flattening receivers at Texas, stopping runners in the backfield, or body slamming guys against Oklahoma, Joseph was all over the field. He racked up over 100 tackles in his true freshman season. That has already carried over into 2013.
“The guys defensively that stand out are Cook and Joseph,” head coach Dana Holgorsen said as he spoke to the media earlier in camp.
“Karl Joseph has had a great offseason. He is bigger, he is faster, he is stronger and he is more comfortable in the system,” Holgorsen said.
Joseph has already been vocal in fall camp thus far. When participating in drills, Joseph can be heard helping out his teammates, whether it be lining up right or working on their technique in position drills. Communication has been one thing that the WVU coaches have been preaching since camp opened at the beginning of August. It seems that Joseph is catching the drift and passing it along to his teammates.
“He ain’t quiet,” teammate and safety Darwin Cook said.
“We just have the attitude we’re the best. He feels like he’s the best. I feel like I’m the best and that’s what we carry onto the field. I hope it rubs off on everyone else,”Cook, said.
Cook also says that Joseph has never seemed like a freshman and has always had an “older mentality.”
Joseph’s play on the field last year shows what the Mountaineer defense is trying to embody this season. Hard hits, smart play, and a mean streak. With Joseph leading, this WVU defense should turn around in 2013.
