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University of Minnesota Athletics
Wells Competitive on the Turf and the Screen
10/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 23, 2014
"I might be more competitive," Wells said. "I hate to lose, so it's always a competitive game when I play."
"I thrive on defense," he said. "My offense is sometimes shaky, but my defense plays pretty good."
"It's a big transition," Wells said. "At safety, you're more like the quarterback of the defense. You're calling calls for basically the whole defense sometimes, sometimes the linebackers, corners. You may even give the call to the defensive end. Corner's pretty fun, too. You play a lot of man coverage, so you get a lot of 1-on-1 coverage routes, going against different receivers in and out.
"I like that challenge. Playing both helped me learn the defense more. Being able to play both positions helped me a lot."
All this football knowledge might boost his Madden game, too.
"I think it helps me on offense," Wells said. "Once I see the safety roll down, I'm like, 'Yeah, he's in cover 3,' so I should run four verticals or something like that."
"I think he uses it as a learning tool to help him on the field," Wells' roommate, defensive back Steven Montgomery, said. "He's a student of the game. He practices and plays every day. I can't get him off the game."
Montgomery describes his roommate as a "serious, intense, focused type of person. That's the type of person he is. Doesn't say too much, just always pays attention. Very aware."
Wells stayed alert and bided his time in a Madden matchup against running back David Cobb, his roommate as a freshman and sophomore. With the aid of an interception returned to the end zone, Wells recovered from a 14-0 deficit to win.
"We talk a little trash on the headset online," Cobb said. "He wasn't saying much, but when he got the pick-six you could hear him screaming. I had to unplug the mic.
"Out in the public he's very quiet. He won't say much. …He's very loud and outgoing with people he's comfortable with."
As his roommates, both Montgomery and Cobb have seen this side of Wells for years. Now Montgomery notices Wells talking more on the field, helping and leading younger teammates.
After a game or practice, though, Wells and his teammates become Madden opponents. One of Wells' biggest obstacles on the screen might be his own roommate. Montgomery said he beat Wells in NBA 2K to win the biggest room in their house when they moved, and he usually gets the best of Wells in Madden. In last year's tournament, Wells lost in the second round to none other than Montgomery. Wells, loving the competition and rivalry, still names Montgomery as his favorite opponent.
When they're not playing on a physical football field, the Golden Gophers take the competition to a virtual field. Several dozen members of the Minnesota football team, including senior cornerback Derrick Wells, are part of a Madden video game tournament.
Sometimes 10 to 12 Gophers will be playing at once. Sometimes they're in one place, while other times they face each other remotely online and communicate via headset. Either way, it gets loud. This tournament doesn't matter as much as what the Gophers do on Saturdays, but it can be just as intense as a real game.
"I might be more competitive," Wells said. "I hate to lose, so it's always a competitive game when I play."
Playing as the Buffalo Bills (with some trades), Wells lists Philip Rivers, C.J. Spiller, Sammy Watkins and Mario Williams as some of his key virtual players.
"I thrive on defense," he said. "My offense is sometimes shaky, but my defense plays pretty good."
Wells is no slouch on defense in real life, either. He flies around the field, signature dreadlocks covering part of the No. 3 on his jersey, bringing a physical style of play to the Gopher secondary. His talent has shone on the field despite injuries plaguing parts of his collegiate career.
Wells appeared in 11 games as freshman in 2011 before a breakout season in 2012. His sophomore year, in which he played with a recurring injury, saw him make 74 tackles, break up 10 passes and haul in two interceptions.
Injuries limited Wells' playing time last year, but he has been able to start five of seven games so far in 2014. Not bad for someone who received just two Division I scholarship offers coming out of high school. Ball State was the only other school to seriously recruit the Lehigh Acres, Fla., native.
"I didn't really take it to heart when I didn't get recruited," Wells said. "My coaches in high school had a good relationship with the coaches up here, so that was a big connection, which made the coaches that were here take a look at me. That's when I got the offer."
Wells has been a versatile player at Minnesota, spending time at both safety and cornerback during his career.
"It's a big transition," Wells said. "At safety, you're more like the quarterback of the defense. You're calling calls for basically the whole defense sometimes, sometimes the linebackers, corners. You may even give the call to the defensive end. Corner's pretty fun, too. You play a lot of man coverage, so you get a lot of 1-on-1 coverage routes, going against different receivers in and out.
"I like that challenge. Playing both helped me learn the defense more. Being able to play both positions helped me a lot."
All this football knowledge might boost his Madden game, too.
"I think it helps me on offense," Wells said. "Once I see the safety roll down, I'm like, 'Yeah, he's in cover 3,' so I should run four verticals or something like that."
"I think he uses it as a learning tool to help him on the field," Wells' roommate, defensive back Steven Montgomery, said. "He's a student of the game. He practices and plays every day. I can't get him off the game."
Montgomery describes his roommate as a "serious, intense, focused type of person. That's the type of person he is. Doesn't say too much, just always pays attention. Very aware."
Wells stayed alert and bided his time in a Madden matchup against running back David Cobb, his roommate as a freshman and sophomore. With the aid of an interception returned to the end zone, Wells recovered from a 14-0 deficit to win.
"We talk a little trash on the headset online," Cobb said. "He wasn't saying much, but when he got the pick-six you could hear him screaming. I had to unplug the mic.
"Out in the public he's very quiet. He won't say much. …He's very loud and outgoing with people he's comfortable with."
As his roommates, both Montgomery and Cobb have seen this side of Wells for years. Now Montgomery notices Wells talking more on the field, helping and leading younger teammates.
After a game or practice, though, Wells and his teammates become Madden opponents. One of Wells' biggest obstacles on the screen might be his own roommate. Montgomery said he beat Wells in NBA 2K to win the biggest room in their house when they moved, and he usually gets the best of Wells in Madden. In last year's tournament, Wells lost in the second round to none other than Montgomery. Wells, loving the competition and rivalry, still names Montgomery as his favorite opponent.
Six Gophers will make the Madden playoffs. A few weeks into the tournament, Wells was atop the AFC standings. Maybe this will be his year.
Players Mentioned
Running Back
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Defensive Back
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Defensive Back
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