Kansas City Chiefs S Eric Berry won the Jim Thorpe Award last year given to the best defensive back in college football. From there Berry would go on to be drafted by the Chiefs fifth overall and put up a solid rookie campaign.
So who's the next Eric Berry?
LSU's Patrick Peterson. OK, he's not a safety and they're not really similar defensive backs but Peterson did win the Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football. The way people are talking about Peterson is the way people were talking about Berry last year.
"He's a special athlete," LSU defensive back coach Ron Cooper said. "To be great in the secondary, you have to have great ball skills. You really have to be a better receiver than a defensive back. He mixes that with being able to cover and being able to tackle."
Peterson first heard about the Jim Thorpe Award from his father, who mentioned it was given to the best defensive back in college football. Peterson made it his goal to win the award.
Sounds a lot like Berry. Peterson, though, plays cornerback which isn't as scrutinized as a top five pick as safety is. Is Peterson the next shutdown corner in the NFL?