Know Your Pride: Ian Wells, CB
Every summer 90 men fight to earn themselves a spot on the 53 man roster for the Detroit Lions. Returning veterans, Free Agent acquisitions, drafted rookies, and finally the undrafted rookies. Though no roster spot is safe, the uphill battle for some is more of a mountain than a hill. One of the young men scaling that mountain is UDFA cornerback, Ian Wells.
Ian Wells was a three year starter at Ohio University, ending 2015 with 28 Tackles, a team high 10 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, and a blocked kick. At his pro day, Ian ran a 4.49 40 yard dash, jumped 41 inches in the vertical leap, and had a broad jump of 11’4″. Praised for his athleticism and work ethic, Wells is an athletic corner with special teams value and potential in the slot. I reached out to Ian and he was more than happy to answer some questions about the transition to the pros, as well as insight on the Detroit Lions’ camp.
Q: With pro day results of a 4.49 40 yard dash, 41 inch vertical, and 11’04” broad jump, your athleticism is on par with top performers in the draft. How does your athleticism translate to your play on the field and where do you fit best in the Lions’ defense?
A: My athleticism allows me to be able to play against different types of receivers. I am able to play against tall and big receivers because I can go up in the air with them, and I am also big enough to handle them at the line of scrimmage and get off blocks. But I am also able to cover quicker and smaller guys in the slot. I think I fit in wherever the team needs me which they have me working at corner and also the nickel position.
Q: How does the Lions’ scheme differ from Ohio University’s defense, and are you asked to do more of the same things, or are you asked to utilize a different skill set?
A: We run kind of the same things we ran at OU, my first three years at OU we were a cover 2 type of defense so I was asked to sit on the shorter routes and be a part of the run fit. My last two years we were a cover 4 press team where we got from Michigan State so I was pressed about 95% of the time, but we still ran your basic cover 2 and cover 3 schemes. I am asked to do some of the same things I did at school, but on top of that I have to learn the nickel position which I rarely did at OU and the times I lined up in the slot it was to play man to man.
Q: What did you learn while at Ohio University that has helped you the most throughout this process?
A: One thing I learned from guys that came through OU and are now in the league is that you have to be about your business. One guy I watched closely while he was at OU was TJ Carrie, who is now starting for the Raiders. I watched the way he approached practice, games, film sessions, lifting, body maintenance, etc. After he left I took note of everything he did and kind of added my own flavor to it.
Q: Which teammate has impressed you the most? Which teammates have helped mentor you the most? What receiver challenges you the most in 1-on-1s?
A: The teammate that has impressed me the most is Nevin, if there’s one guy I want to model my game after on the team would def be him. He plays with a fire lit underneath him every single play, he flies around to the ball, he has to be told to slow down rather than to pick it up. That’s the level I’m trying to get on. As far as mentors the whole secondary room has been great especially [Don] Carey and Wilson. Outside of the room Josh Bynes has helped and talked during the rookie transition stuff. In one on ones, I’d say [Jeremy] Kerley has been a challenge.
Lions fans can expect to see a guy who is physical, flying around and always around the ball, and proud to represent this city and team on the field.
He is one of the quickest and most elusive guys on the team, and to have to cover him in space like that with no pass rush is tough. All the guys give us good work so it’s never easy to line up against anyone.
Q: Many have been impressed with your work ethic. Where does that stem from and what drives you towards success?
A: My work ethic comes from my dad, he’s a retired Air Force Major from the South so I was brought up the right way and taught if you going to do something then do it to the best of your ability. At a young age I told my dad I wanted to play in the NFL and it was a talk I had with him at the age of 6 that stuck with me all the way up until now. He told me to imagine all the kids in your pee wee league, now take that number to the next county, now to the next state, now take it all over the country. That is how many kids I have to outwork, that want the same thing to make it to where I wanna go. So in HS my dad said either I have to get a job or I gotta go get a scholarship, so I took what seemed like the easy way and chose to get a scholarship. One day I asked him for all the workout gear like ladders and parachutes and he said I would have to go get it and show him I would put in the work so that is what I did. I came home everyday after two-a-day practices during the summer and would be out in the yard running extra, using shirts and water bottles as cones, anything I could use. And then in college I was always the first one there and last to leave. Extra workouts, film sessions, I stayed in the training room so much doing some preventive maintenance stuff and cold tub that people thought I was always hurt. I even got kicked out the weight room religiously because they said I would be in there too much.
Q: What has surprised you about how things are done at the pro level? How is the coaching different? How difficult is the playbook?
A: One thing that isn’t really surprising but different is that nobody is on you to do stuff like lift or eat or training room. In college everybody lifted together, everybody was on you to get treatment, but here it’s on the schedule and it’s on you to get it done. The coaching is definitely different in terms of more professionalism in a way. The playbook is difficult because of the terminology, having to learn new terms and then having to group coverages and checks together and say okay this is similar to what I did in college and so forth.
Q: Can you give us a brief look at what a week in camp looks like?
A: Well, as rookies our days were way longer than others. Wake up at 6am, get to the facility by 6:30am. By 8am you have to eat, get treatment if needed, lift, tape, and then make it to special teams which is 8am-9am, then a team meeting at 9am, then you break up into offense/defense meeting where you go over the install briefly then break up into position rooms. There you go over the install some more and watch some film then out by 9:30 to go get ready for practice which is at 10am. Then you finish up around 11:45am-12pm and where we gotta eat, cold tub, and shower all by 1pm, when rookies have to lift. Then after lifitng we have rookie transition meetings which last a hour or two, then by that time it’s 4pm or 5pm so you have to eat before going back to the hotel or go pick something up. then you’re in your room by 6pm sometimes so it’s a 12 hour day.
Q: What was your favorite college football memory?
A: Favorite college football memory was my first start at Penn State and beating them. The most I ever played in front of was a couple thousand so to have my first start in front of 100K+ was definitely different.
Q: What was your favorite team growing up? Favorite player?
A; Favorite team growing up was the Dallas Cowboys, favorite player was Deion Sanders.
Q: What 5 defensive backs would create the best secondary of all-time?
A: Ooh this is tough…I’d say Deion Sanders, Ed Reed, Ronnie Lott, Willie Brown, and Mel Blount
Q: What NFL quarterback do you want to get your first interception on?
A: Tom Brady, definitely want one off one of the best to do it.
Q: And finally, what can Lions fan expect from you on game day this preseason?
A: Lions fans can expect to see a guy who is physical, flying around and always around the ball, and proud to represent this city and team on the field.