DURHAM – In the summers of 2014 and 2015, Casey DeAndrade’s football prep time was cut short as he rehabbed back and knee injuries. But that didn’t stop DeAndrade from thriving for the University of New Hampshire and earning All-Colonial Athletic Association First-Team honors as both a cornerback and punt returner in both years.
This summer, DeAndrade, now a senior captain, didn’t have those distractions.
“This is really the first offseason where I’ve been completely healthy and not battling back from an injury or something,” DeAndrade said. “It was good for me to be able to work on little stuff, like mobility and flexibility, and not trying to rehab back from anything.”
So, how good can DeAndrade be with a focused summer as a foundation for his senior year? As good as any cornerback in the Football Championship Subdivision if you believe the preseason predictions.
DeAndrade is one of 22 players on the watch list for the 2016 STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year (formerly the Buck Buchanan Award). There were only four defensive backs among those 22 players, and only one other corner – The Citadel’s Dee Delaney.
The 5-foot-11, 212 pound DeAndrade, who is from East Bridewater, Mass., has also been named to the 2016 STATS FCS Preseason All-America First Team, the Madness 2016 Preseason All-America First Team and the Football College America Yearbook FCS Starting Lineup.
But he hasn’t wasted any time thinking about those honors, or the possibility of playing football on Sundays next fall. He’s focused on helping the Wildcats, ranked No. 22 in the STATS FCS Preseason poll, reach a 13th straight FCS playoffs. And there’s no doubting his ability to impact a game or a season.
“He gives us an opportunity to push some coverages to other people. He can go into the boundary, or to their number one receiver, and we can put our best defender (DeAndrade) on their best receiver and see how that thing works out. Over the past three years, it’s worked out pretty good for us,” UNH coach Sean McDonnell said. “It enables us to help other guys in the coverage aspect of it, and sometimes guys even in the run support part of it, because he’s out on an island by himself taking care of everything.”
DeAndrade does all that with a diverse set of athletic skills. He’s got speed, quickness, strength, toughness and a nose for the ball. He still holds the East Bridgewater High School record in the 55-meter dash and he was a two-year captain, and two time South Shore League All-Star, for the East Bridgewater baseball team.
Watch DeAndrade field punts and it’s easy to imagine him tracking down fly balls in the outfield. Watch him return punts and it’s easy to see how he totaled 2,912 rushing yards, 1,135 receiving yards and 63 touchdowns in high school and was named the Massachusetts Division IV Payer of the Year in 2011.
All of those tangible qualities will benefit the Wildcats this year, just like they have the last three years (DeAndrade started 13 of 15 games as a redshirt freshman in 2013). But the ‘Cats will also need DeAndrade’s intangibles, his leadership and mentoring. UNH lost seven defensive starters from last year’s 7-5 team and DeAndrade is the only returning starter in the secondary.
Luckily for UNH, DeAndrade has also done plenty of leading during his time in Durham.
“I’ve prided myself on being a leader the last few seasons, so now the title is nice, but it doesn’t change too much for me,” DeAndrade said. “There are 16 seniors and I think all of us are going to have a leadership role.”
But none of them have the kind of clout, or knowledge, that DeAndrade brings to the table. None of them can help a young secondary like he can. He’s played so many snaps, faced so many schemes and learned so many game plans that he can help any one of the defensive backs looking to step into starting roles, no matter the position.
“It’s big for me to do that. I even played two games at safety back in my redshirt freshman year,” DeAndrade said. “And once I got comfortable (at one corner position), I was able to look around the other positions and figure them out and try to get better like that.”
Before the Aug. 11 NFL preseason game between New Orleans and New England, DeAndrade Tweeted, “Shoutout to @RjHarris15 on his first preseason game of the year . . . Go cats/saints/pats.” He was showing some love for RJ Harris, the former UNH receiver trying to make it with the Saints.
So there’s no doubt DeAndrade understands what it means, and takes, for an FCS player to make an NFL roster. Next fall he might be in Harris’s shoes – fighting for a chance to play pro ball and getting shoutouts from his boys back in Durham. But the current UNH captain won’t allow future dreams to distract him from the present.
“I’m trying not to think about next year,” DeAndrade said. “I’m trying to just think about this year and continuing the playoff streak and hopefully taking the next step in the program.”