BOULDER — Despite what the numbers might suggest, there is no secret sauce being administered to University of Colorado defensive backs, no magic bullet that allows Buffs DBs to seamlessly make the transition from Saturdays to Sundays.
Rather, it is the opposite. It is fundamentals that make the difference. Learning the game, learning the position, learning the basics — and practicing those basics until they become second nature.
Colorado's Isaiah Oliver, selected in the second round of Thursday night's NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, is the latest example.
Three years ago, Oliver was a relatively lightly recruited athlete out of Goodyear, Ariz.