Jabari Greer can’t take a hint. Good thing for the Buffalo Bills.
Last year, Greer was a surprise starter at cornerback, filling in admirably when injuries beset a ravaged defense. He held his own against the likes of Terrell Owens and Randy Moss as Buffalo scrapped to 7-9.
In the offseason, the Bills signed free agent Will James to a two-year deal. Then, with their first-round pick, they took Leodis McKelvin. Again in the fourth round, Buffalo dipped for a defensive back, drafting Reggie Corner.
But today, when the Bills match wits with Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald in Glendale, Ariz., it’ll likely be Greer that stands tall as the team’s lockdown corner. With Terrence McGee not expected to play, Greer will probably draw the assignment of covering Fitzgerald, one of the league’s most dynamic offensive forces.
And the undrafted corner will continue an unlikely streak of consecutive games played — his 54 games stand fifth in the league among current players, behind more notable players like Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber and former Bill Nate Clements.
Despite establishing himself as a first-rate NFL corner, Greer insists he holds no malice toward the team that kept trying to replace him or others who doubted him. In fact, he said starting as the team’s top corner today wouldn’t even give him a sense of vindication.
"Not at all. I think that’s it’s an opportunity for me to step up and set more of an example for the younger guys,”
Greer said. “The example was set for me by Troy Vincent and Nate and Terrence, how to come in and how to win. It’s my obligation to set the standard for the younger guys. I can do nothing else but show the same respect that these guys showed me.”
Last week, Greer had the game’s decisive play, a fourth-quarter interception he ran back for a touchdown. This week he might have to do even more with McGee expected to be sidelined. While the Bills pass defense is ranked sixth in the league, the Cardinals passing offense is ranked fourth.
And not having McGee in the lineup changes the way the Bills play defense.
“Terrence is a playmaker. We know Terrence has made plays for us and he gives us the confidence to know we have a solid playmaker out there,”
Greer said. “As this defense has shown, we have guys that can step in there and play, and we have faith in Ashton (Youboty) and Leodis to get out there and play hard and play fast. These guys are playmakers and I know that they’re going to hold that side down there, no questions.”
Greer’s demeanor on and off the field has earned him the respect many never thought he’d get.
“He is our number one corner. You can ask a lot of the players around the league and they’ll tell you he’s a good corner,”
teammate Donte Whitner said. “A lot of times people don’t really try him that much on the field, even when we got into training camp this year. The previous years, Jabari (Greer) led us in interceptions, nine, ten interceptions during training camp, but when we came in this year, our quarterbacks didn’t test him that much, and that says that he’s in position to make plays on the football, which makes quarterbacks go to their second or third read. He’s going to be lined up against Fitzgerald the majority of the time this week, and he welcomes the challenge. He asked coach for the challenge and I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
