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Griff Yancey was a second-team All-CAA tailback in the ’09 Phil Steele preseason magazine. Except that the redshirt junior from Glen Allen won’t be playing tailback this year.
“It was a tough transition from the beginning, but I’m starting to get the flow of things,” said Yancey, who was moved to safety in the spring after running for 518 yards and scoring 13 touchdowns for JMU in 2008.

“I feel like I’m a competitor on offense, I’m a competitor on defense, I’m just a competitor all around. So, I mean, it’s taking a little time, but I don’t think it’s going to be a hard transition,” Yancey said.

The move was initiated by the coaching staff in the offseason after it was apparent that the Dukes had a hole to fill at safety and had enough depth at tailback to give Yancey, a third-team All-CAA selection at tailback following the ’08 season, the chance to show his stuff on defense in the spring.

“They just wanted to try me out at first. If it didn’t work, they could move me back to running back. But I guess they saw something in me the last few days of spring practice,” Yancey said.

James Madison coach Mickey Matthews had had his eyes on Yancey for his defense dating back to his redshirt year three years ago.

“I thought when Griff showed up here as a freshman, when he was working out when we were redshirting him, I remember telling (former defensive coordinator) George Barlow that Griff was as good a safety prospect as I’d seen in a while,” Matthews said.

Yancey “has looked very good” at free safety in training camp this summer, Matthews said. The issues that Yancey has to overcome aren’t so much physical as mental. “I’m telling people where to go on defense back there. I’m learning that stuff right now. It’s definitely a different look from offense,” Yancey said. “I haven’t played defense since my senior year in high school. It’s kind of tough getting back into that flow.”

One advantage that the Dukes will have in the defensive backfield will be evident whenever the ball is popped up in the air or dropped on the turf in his vicinity.

“If the ball is there, I’m getting it and trying to score a touchdown. The instincts will take over, man,” Yancey said.

 

– Story by Chris Graham