John Knox didn't have to make the move. A senior on the University of Charleston's football team, he had put enough time into the program to veto a position change. After doing a little bit of everything on offense, he could have balked at playing defense, something he said he hadn't played since middle school.
"I would have definitely listened to him," Charleston coach Pat Kirkland said. "John does have a lot of money in the bank, so to speak, with me, because he's been accountable for the last four years, has worked hard and has a lot invested in this program."
It was for the success of the UC program that Knox didn't push back against switching roles. He embraced the move to free safety and now is the Golden Eagles' starter at that position, readying himself for the powerful arm of quarterback Matt Kinnick and the rest of the West Virginia State offense when the University of Charleston visits West Virginia State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Institute.
Knox's move to the secondary came out of necessity late in preseason camp, Kirkland said. Safety Logan Cox already was hurt and fellow safety Johnathan Pruden dislocated and fractured a finger on his left hand.
"We got guys hurt back to back to back, and we wanted to find a guy we could move over," Kirkland said. "Because of his knowledge from playing quarterback and being a great athlete, it was a no-brainer."
Knox was the Golden Eagles' ultimate multitasker on offense. A dual-threat quarterback who also could line up at receiver, his presence was felt in every category. Since 2012, the 6-foot, 205-pound North Carolina native has rushed for 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns, thrown for 1,784 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 42 passes for 422 yards and five touchdowns.
Yet, as ingrained as Knox was in UC's offense, he didn't hesitate when Kirkland approached him about moving to safety. For his coach to come to him as a senior showed the trust the staff had in him to make that change so quickly. And if the coaches trusted him, he had no problem trusting them.
"It's about the team," Knox said. "When Coach asked me and said that we needed it, I didn't think twice. It's not just about me. It's about what the team needs and what's the best fit for the team. They felt like this was the best fit, so I'm 100 percent with it."
The toughest part of the transition, Knox said, has been the mental side. Having never played safety in college or even in high school, knowing assignments and where he should station himself within different coverages aren't second nature like they are with other defensive backs.
But it doesn't take years of work to know how crucial a single mistake could be.
"Everything has to be so disciplined and exact," Knox said. "If you make a mistake, that could be a touchdown. On offense, if you make a mistake, you still have second down or third down. On defense, everything has to be perfect and everyone has to be on the same page."
Kirkland said that the senior's years as a quarterback have helped in the move. While he hasn't played defense in years, Knox has spent those years studying them. Now he can take those hours upon hours of learning and apply them in a different way.
"Quarterback is a different beast," Kirkland said. "You've got to know it all. You've got to know the whole offense. You've got to know every position and what their role is. And you have to have the ability to read defenses, so you have to have a good understanding of coverages and what goes on in the back end. It did help making it an easier transition."
Knox agreed that his tenure at quarterback made his move to defensive back much smoother than it could have been.
"It helped me a lot," Knox said. "As a quarterback, I got the general, big picture of it. Now on the defensive side, it's about taking my eyes and matching it with the big picture. It's about training my eyes and putting my body in the right position."
The move wasn't just to shore up depth at free safety. Knox started at that spot from UC's first game of the season. And, just like during his years on offense, his impact was immediate. He already ranks third on the team with 19 tackles.
Kirkland said his hunch was right, that Knox was best suited to make such an extreme change, from his selflessness in agreeing so quickly to the athleticism it takes to make the switch work.
"I don't feel like I'm overstepping to say that he's probably the best overall football player we have in our program because of his versatility, athletic ability and knowledge," Kirkland said. "I wish we saw this coming and could have made this move back in the spring and he'd be light years ahead of where he's at right now. But I'm proud of the effort he's put toward it and the strides he's made thus far."