Former Wisconsin safety Dezmen Southward was late to football.
He was a track and basketball star before giving football a try as a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Sunrise, Fla.
“I did a lot of different things,” said Southward, who appeared at ease and fluid during the first day of the Falcons’ rookie minicamp Friday. “It was a thing where everyone told me I would end up playing football. When I gave football a try, I fell in love with it. I haven’t picked up a basketball since. It is truly my calling card. My only regret is I wish I would have got into it earlier.”
He did enough as a senior to impress the coaches in Madison, Wis., and was offered a scholarship.
In part because he has a huge upside, Southward was selected 68th overall in the third round by the Falcons. He was the fifth safety taken, with the first four going in the first round.
Louisville’s Calvin Pryor went 17th to the New York Jets, Alabama’s Ha Ha Clinton-Dix 21st to the Packers, Washington State’s Deone Bucannon 27th to the Cardinals and Northern Illinois’ Jimmie Ward 30th to the 49ers. There was speculation that the Falcons wanted to trade for another pick in the first round to take Ward, but the team said that was not true.
Southward redshirted in 2009. Over the next two seasons, he starred on special teams and made two games. He starting the final 27 games of his career.
He finished with 152 tackles, four forced fumbles and two interceptions. He was named all-Big Ten honorable mention as a junior and senior.
Southward, 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, was invited to the NFL Combine, but wasn’t able to participate after doctors found cervical spine and wrist issues.
“Basically, what happened was, one team flagged me and said that they wanted to see my neck again,” Southward said. “They wanted to check out my neck and that basically red-flagged me for the combine, which I wasn’t able to do.
“But it did end up working out for me. I did see Dr. Bob Watkins out in (Los Angeles), and he cleared me.”
The Falcons’ coaching staff led the South team in the Senior Bowl, and Southward was on their roster. He was considered the second-best safety on the South team behind Bucannon. He had no idea the Falcons were interested.
“I’m not sure exactly how the interest came,” Southward said. “I’m sure playing at the Senior Bowl definitely had something to do with it. But heading up to the draft, I had no idea the Falcons had an interest in me. I never had a team visit or any calls or anything. On draft day, about 15 minutes before the pick, they called me, and I’m excited to be here.”
Southward knows that the Falcons have a vacancy at free safety after releasing Thomas DeCoud. They also signed veteran Dwight Lowery, who has started 41 games in the NFL.
During the week leading to the rookie minicamp, Southward has leaned heavily on starting safety William Moore for information during the team’s offseason training sessions.
“He’s played a huge role,” Southward said. “He’s a guy I go to about anything. He’s been through a lot of the things I’m going through right now. Who better to go to talk to and ask questions than him.”
Southward, a high school honor student with a 3.6 GPA, scored 31 on the Wonderlic test. Ten days after getting scratched at the combine, he dazzled the Falcons scouts with a stellar showing at his Pro Day.
He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds and had a vertical jump of 42 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet, 4 inches.
Southward spent a lot of time covering slot receivers during his senior season. If he can’t land the starting free safety position, he may be able to get on the field as a big nickel back as a rookie.
“My junior year I didn’t do it at all,” Southward said. “My senior year was the first time I did it. I was kind of thrown in the fire there, but I was asked to be the third corner basically.”
He said he played in the slot about 80 to 85 percent of the time for the Badgers.
Southward appears ready to soak up the information that could lead to playing time.
“I understand I have to continue to get better at that, but it shows my versatility,” he said.
