Donald Berniard Jr. and Clay Cromwell were not remotely in the mix at nose guard going into the 2020 Navy football season. One year later, the two sophomores sit atop the depth chart at a position that is critical in the Midshipmen’s 3-4 defensive alignment.
Berniard and Cromwell were assigned to the scout team coming out of August training camp last summer. They routinely played alongside each other when working against the varsity offense, Cromwell as a defensive end and Berniard as a nose guard.
Berniard caught the attention of the coaching staff with his ability to defeat blocks by the starting offensive linemen.