Winston isn’t settling for OK

Cornerback Darius Winston is one of three five-star recruits to sign with Arkansas in the past 10 years, but he said he hasn’t reached his own expectations in his first three years with the Razorbacks. “I expect a lot of out myself. I expect more out of myself than anyone else does,” Winston said. “I feel like a lot of people feel I’ve let them down and they might have turned on me too soon, not knowing my circumstances. But I’m a no-excuse kind of guy. Whatever happened, happened. You deal with it and go. That’s life.”

Cornerback Darius Winston is one of three five-star recruits to sign with Arkansas in the past 10 years, but he said he hasn’t reached his own expectations in his first three years with the Razorbacks. “I expect a lot of out myself. I expect more out of myself than anyone else does,” Winston said. “I feel like a lot of people feel I’ve let them down and they might have turned on me too soon, not knowing my circumstances. But I’m a no-excuse kind of guy. Whatever happened, happened. You deal with it and go. That’s life.”

Saturday, August 11, 2012

— Arkansas Coach John L. Smith summed up cornerback Darius Winston’s three seasons with the Razorbacks in two letters.

“OK,” Smith said. “Just OK.”

Arkansas’ coaches want and expect more from Winston as a senior.

“I would not characterize what he’s done up to this point close to what he can do,” Smith said.

Neither would Winston.

“My first three years, I feel I haven’t reached my own expectations,” he said. “I expect a lot out of myself. I expect more out of myself than anyone else does.”

Much was expected from Winston when he signed with the Razorbacks in 2009 after being a USA Today first-team All-American at Helena-West Helena Central High School.

One of three five-star recruits to sign with Arkansas in the past 10 years — along with running back Darren McFadden in 2005 and quarterback Mitch Mustain in 2006 — Winston turned down more than 30 other scholarship offers, including offers from Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Miami.

Winston had eight interceptions as a high school senior, returning two for touchdowns, but college stardom has eluded him. He’s played in 29 games, with 12 starts, and has 1 interception and 2 fumble recoveries.

“I feel like a lot of people feel I’ve let them down and they might have turned on me too soon, not knowing my circumstances,” he said. “But I’m a no-excuse type of guy. Whatever happened, happened. You deal with it and go. That’s life.”

Winston declined to elaborate on what circumstances have held him back at Arkansas.

“You go through adversity, and it’s just stuff you have to handle,” he said. “But I don’t want to go into all that.”

As a freshman, Winston came to campus in late July after waiting to be declared academically eligible by the NCAA clearinghouse. He missed most of the Razorbacks’ summer workouts, which put him behind when fall camp started.

“He wasn’t able to take advantage of that first summer like most freshmen do, and then we probably should have redshirted him,” said Tim Horton, Arkansas’ recruiting coordinator and running backs coach. “But we played him, and he didn’t play a whole lot, and that probably was not real smart on our part.”

Winston said his freshman season was “a waste” considering he played in four games.

“I wasted my whole first season trying to catch up with everything and be everything that everybody wanted me to be coming in as a freshman, but I wasn’t ready,” he said. “I wanted to play, but I should have redshirted.”

Winston was asked if his relationship with Willy Robinson — the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator and secondary coach the previous three seasons before resigning under pressure before the Cotton Bowl — had a negative impact on his play.

“No, no, no,” Winston said. “I had a good relationship with Coach Robinson.”

But Winston, who has been working at first-team right cornerback throughout fall camp, seems rejuvenated to be playing for a new defensive coordinator, Paul Haynes, and a new position coach, Bobby Allen.

Winston noted that when Allen previously coached cornerbacks, his players included Ahmad Carroll, a first-round NFL Draft pick by Green Bay in 2004, and Chris Houston, a second-round pick by Atlanta in 2007.

“They’re two of the best corners to ever come through here,” Winston said. “So knowing Coach Allen coached those guys means a lot.”

Haynes came to Arkansas from Ohio State, where in six seasons he coached nine defensive backs who were drafted, including first-round picks Donte Witner and Malcolm Jenkins.

“I believe Coach Haynes can help me a lot,” Winston said. “I feel a lot more comfortable now. I know what’s going on, and I’m on one side of the field.”

In Arkansas’ previous scheme, Winston played boundary and field corner. Now he’s strictly on the right side with sophomore Tevin Mitchel on the left.

“Before I did a lot of moving around from side to side,” Winston said. “In high school I played left corner, and I felt like I excelled playing one side.”

Allen said he is excited to coach Winston, who is 6-0 and 191 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds in off-season testing, according to figures released by Arkansas’ strength and conditioning staff. Winston said he also had a 39-inch vertical jump during testing.

“His strengths are his overall size for a corner, his speed and his ability to break on the ball,” Allen said. “He’s a willing hitter.

“What I’ve been trying to do is train his eyes a little bit more to get them disciplined. ... That’s important for any cornerback, so they can react to what they see.”

Allen said he is confident that regardless of what happened in the past, Winston will have a standout senior season.

“He’s got the talent,” Allen said. “It’s just a matter of putting a body of work together that’s very consistent, connecting all the dots for him to be the best player he’s capable of being. I believe Darius is ready to do that.”

Haynes said Winston had an “awesome” offseason that has carried over to practice.

“I challenged him when scouts come in here, they’ll look at your numbers and are going to drool, so now you’ve just got to put it on tape,” Haynes said. “I feel like he’s accepted that challenge.

“Since he’s been on the field, I see things he wasn’t even doing in bowl practice. He’s a lot more physical than what he was before. ... If he continues to do that and challenges himself every day, the sky is the limit for that kid.”

Tight end Chris Gragg, one of Winston’s roommates, said his close friend is hungry to be known as one of the SEC’s top cornerbacks.

“We talk about it all the time at the house,” Gragg said. “We all know what he can do. He just has to go out there and do it. I think this really is his time.”

Winston said he is “highly motivated” to end his Arkansas career on a high note. He is eager to force turnovers and make game-changing plays that win big games.

“I’m like a pipe that’s ready to bust right now,” he said. “I really want to showcase my abilities.”

At a glance

DARIUS WINSTON

COLLEGE Arkansas POSITION Cornerback CLASS Senior HT/WT 6-0, 191 pounds HIGH SCHOOL Helena-West Helena Central NOTEWORTHY Is projected to the Razorbacks’ starting right cornerback this season. ... Has played in 29 games, with 12 starts, in previous three seasons. ... Has 1 interception and 2 fumble recoveries along with 47 tackles. ... Was a five-star recruit who had more than 30 scholarship offers as a high school senior.

Sports, Pages 19 on 08/11/2012