Weak link?

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 | 9:22 a.m.

Ruschard Dodd-Masters has read the preseason college football magazines. He has heard the sports talk shows.

A 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior from Richmond, Calif., he knows all about what people are saying about UNLV's defense for 2003. Especially the cornerback position.

"I hear people say we could be the weak link of the defense, that how we go our defense will go," Dodd-Masters said with his customary big smile. "I just wipe that off my shoulder because the opponents haven't seen Dodd-Masters out there."

Well, actually they have. Dodd-Masters started six games in 2002 as a nickel back and cornerback and finished with 48 tackles and two interceptions, which tied him for the team lead in that category.

But what might be true is that UNLV opponents haven't seen this version of Ruschard Dodd-Masters.

"Dodd has become a more mature, very savvy kind of football player," UNLV coach John Robinson said. "He's always had talent. (But) he was so excitable that his play was erratic. He's still an emotional player but I really think he's learning to control it."

At least Robinson and his staff hope so because Dodd-Masters, who has one of the starting cornerback spots locked up, is the one veteran cornerback the team has on the roster. The other position will be manned by a newcomer, either redshirt freshman Ernest Gordon, junior college transfer Willie Tagoai, who is also seeing time at safety, or sophomore David Olsen, who has missed part of preseason camp because of a hamstring injury.

With so much inexperience at one corner spot, the Rebels are counting on Dodd-Masters to be a stablizing influence on the other side.

"He's the most experienced guy we've got right now," defensive coordinator Mike Bradeson said. "He's doing a very good job. He's come around the last year for us."

"Corner has just come natural to me," the confident Dodd-Masters said. "I'm a natural skill player. That's what I feel I can do ... lock people up."

That kind of brashness didn't endear Dodd-Masters with his coaches earlier in his career, especially when it came to celebrating a big play on the field or talking a little too much smack with an opponent.

"He was kind of a hot dog before," Robinson, who has always frowned on showboating by his players, said. "Now he's a really mature, solid player. I think the thing he eventually learned ... and it took him some time to do it ... is that what he was doing detracted from his performance. I think kids see a pro player or somebody else doing that kind of stuff and they want to be like that. Eventually they begin to learn that they can't win and do that. He's learned."

One of Robinson's favorite phrases during his USC coaching days when he helped produce Heisman Trophy winning tailbacks Charles White and Marcus Allen was, "Act like you've been there before." Rarely did either player do more than hand the ball back to an official after scoring a touchdown. No finger-pointing. No dances.

"Yeah, that was one of J-Rob's big things with me, to just try and calm me down sometimes with my emotions," Dodd-Masters said. "Sometimes I can get a little off the Richter (Scale) with my emotions and showmanship. I was an entertainer as well as a football player. But I've matured and now know how to carry myself better on the field. I've toned it down a little bit."

Now Dodd-Masters wants to let his playing bring him the spotlight. And he's confident he and his fellow cornerbacks will be more than up to the task.

"Ernest Gordon is a young talent and he's going to be good," Dodd-Masters said. "Then you've got Willie who is a big and rangy guy who is going to be swell as well. And Olsen is a tough player who I have a lot of respect for. I really have a lot of respect for all three of those guys.

"August 29th," Dodd-Masters continued with a smile. "That's when people will get to see if the corners are the question mark or not. I can't wait to show them."

In a more mature way, of course.