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Nothing really stands out about Kayvon Webster, well maybe his gold teeth, but beyond that, he is easily the quietest member of the vaunted “No Fly Zone” and some may even argue he is not officially a member of that prestigious group. A few years ago, that may have bothered the standout 2012 All-Big East cornerback but for the sake of his career, he had to accept a different role.
Despite amassing only 58 total regular season tackles coming in just two starts over the past three seasons, Webster is truly an important piece of the defending champions. After being drafted in 2013 90th overall by the Broncos, he had high hopes to play cornerback on Sundays. His rookie season even galvanized those hopes. He played in 14 games (two starts) and compiled 38 total tackles, an interception and nine passes defensed, but it would not last.
“It was a sacrifice,” Webster admitted Sunday. “I was playing a lot of defense my rookie year and I got demoted or whatever so I had to just accept my role, really.”
That role has grown into a valuable one. As his first three seasons flew by, Chris Harris Jr. emerged as an elite cornerback and Aqib Talib joined the team, Webster continued to take a back seat. Rather than forcing his way out of Denver or simply not working hard enough to stay on an NFL roster, he continued to work and find a valuable place on special teams.
Last season, in particular, Webster tied for the team-high special teams tackles during the regular season but topped that in the most crucial moments of the team’s postseason run. He influenced field position on two occasions with downed punts inside the five-yard line, forced a muffed punt and added two more tackles. His play came from a mentality he had to cultivate over the course of the entire season.
“Throughout the season they threw up the highlights and it was all defense and I wasn’t really included,” he explained. “I just had to make my mark on special teams and I have been doing a pretty good job so far.”
After an impressive practice Saturday, in which Webster blanketed Emmanuel Sanders and broke up several passes, Head Coach Gary Kubiak was asked about his quiet defensive back.
“He broke the team down and practiced his tail off,” the coach explained. “He’s a great example today for the football team. He really has been. He played down the stretch last year in the playoffs. He’s a big player for us. He’s come back really focused on what he’s doing.”
It could have been easy for Webster to get frustrated, give up on himself or even the Broncos and try to start over somewhere new with less talent in front of him. Learning to embrace a role as a special teams leader could not have been easy for the former star at the University of South Florida and two-time All-Dade County selection in the college-football breeding grounds of Florida. Webster made a choice and it has proved fruitful.
He now the proud owner of a Super Bowl 50 Championship ring and is certainly a candidate for special teams captain in 2016. He has carved himself a niche on the roster that seems to be tightly secured out at training camp.
“I never was really down on myself about getting reps at cornerback because I know the type of player I am. I come to practice and work hard every day,” he said with quiet assurance Sunday. “The confidence comes from practice. We are going against [Demaryius Thomas] and Emmanuel Sanders and then in the offseason it starts there too. I train with Antonio Brown, Xavier Rhodes. We all hold each other to a high level of competition and we hold each other accountable.”
Entering his fourth season, Webster does not have to worry about the type of player he is or what the coaches expect from him. He has grown into a veteran and yet he still has a formula for keeping himself motivated.
“It is really just the focus,” he said. “The attention to detail and trusting the coaches’ technique at the cornerback position. Special teams is easy. It is all effort. If you go out and give full effort every day.”
Webster may be quiet but his role on the team speaks volumes. His mentality is what Kubiak is constantly looking for in his players. While the “No Fly Zone” gets national credit, Webster now seems content with flying under the radar.
