From his new free safety post, Marcus Heavin will rely on the Tigers’ scouting, along with his instincts and, of course, his vision to make repeated split-second decisions that could make or break a play from the Tigers’ perspective.
Time was when Heavin couldn’t rely on his field vision at all.
“I was playing blind out there for seventh grade and a little bit of eighth grade,” Heavin said. “I played quarterback back then. I couldn't really tell who were my (wide receivers).”
For Heavin’s sake, he began wearing contact lenses during his eighth-grade season.
"Contacts made a world of difference,” he said. “It was a crazy difference. I could actually see my receivers down the field.”
Once he reached high school, Heavin found a home defensively and has switched back and forth between safety and cornerback. After starting at corner and collecting 43 tackles as a junior last season, he’s moved to safety for his senior year.
Heavin was alternating between cornerback and safety the first couple of weeks of summer workouts, prior to last year’s starting free safety, Peyton Bullinger, deciding not to play football this year. After Bullinger left, Heaven became a full-time safety.
“Wherever they needed me, that's where I was going to play,” Heavin said. “It ended up being safety is where I needed to go.”
He feels more at home with each day.
“Honestly, I feel more comfortable with (safety) than corner,” Heavin said. “I think I'm doing a good job making the adjustment. I feel good about it. After I got good reps in (at safety), I felt like I get more chances to make plays than I did at corner.
“I keep progressing every day,” he added. “I can see it on film, the way I'm reading (the play) and I can feel it on the field by being confident in how I play and trusting my gut on where I'm going.”
With the free safety as the last line of defense, Ozark coaches obviously have confidence in Heavin. He values the faith they have in him.
“What you dream of as a little kid is to have your high school varsity coach have confidence in you. It's amazing,” Heaven said. “I'm allowed to read what is going on and then make my decision.”
He vows to be aggressive while trying to help stop the opposing running game, but be mindful of remaining disciplined and not biting on the fake on play-action passes.
“You want to stay back, that's where the real threat is and what they're trying to bait you into,” Heavin said. “You have to trust yourself and be confident enough in yourself that you get can get to the play if needed and make the (tackle) if you have to make it.”
Joining Heavin in Ozark’s secondary are senior cornerbacks Sterling Stine and Brady Owens. Owens had 17 tackles and Stine eight last season.
“Things are shaping up very well,” Heavin said.”I feel like we have everything to make for an amazing secondary.”
“Peyton was a good player and we miss him,” Stine said. “We’ve all stepped up. We're a tight-knit group. We're best buds.”
Secondary starters sons of fathers who also were Tigers
Heavin and Stine also share a bond as legacies, with both of their fathers having played for the Tigers during their own glory days.
“If I ever have a tough day, he's got my back and helps me,” Sterling said of his father, Kaylor. “This is where he grew up, too, playing down the at the junior high school. I'm trying to carry on what he did for this community.”
Ozark’s defensive backfield picture will also likely include Sam Clark and Andrew Aldrich.
Clark started at corner as a sophomore, before moved to wide receiver. He had 18 tackles last year.
Aldrich is a touted junior.
“He switched from outside linebacker to corner after Peyton left,” Heavin said. “I feel like he's made big strides. That's a guy to watch out for in the future.”
