MORGANTOWN – Some lead by voice, others by example. Safety Jaheem Joseph has been working on finding his voice on the West Virginia University defense.
The endeavor is understandable. After four years as a safety for Northwestern University, Joseph transferred in February to WVU. His play already has been a bright spot for the Mountaineer defense, jumping into the starting lineup after just one game.
Joseph wants to affect WVU’s defense with more than his play. Since arriving, he has worked on building relationships with teammates that will allow him to also be a vocal leader for the Mountaineers.
Getting comfortable in his new surroundings hasn’t been a problem. Joseph said that, as soon as he arrived in Morgantown, his new teammates embraced him and made him feel at home.
“It didn’t even feel like I was the new guy,” he said. “They just brought me in and I felt like I was here for the past two years.”
Joseph’s arrival was important for the Mountaineers. WVU returned only two defensive backs, safeties Aubrey Burks and Anthony Wilson, with any starting experience for the Mountaineers. Joseph’s addition brought another veteran presence that knew what it was like to start in major college football. Joseph started seven of the 25 games he played for the Wildcats.
In his last season at Northwestern, he played all 13 games and started six and tied for the team lead with three interceptions while adding 24 tackles.
Joseph spent a lot of time with the first team defense at free safety during the preseason when Wilson was injured. Joseph came off the bench to play against Penn State, but replaced Kekoura Tarnue as starting cat safety in the next game against Albany. Joseph has held a tight grip on that job ever since.
His biggest contribution came last week in WVU’s win over Oklahoma State. Joseph matched a season high with four tackles and recorded his first interception as a Mountaineer, picking off Cowboy quarterback Alan Bowman in the second quarter of WVU’s 38-14 win. That interception set up WVU’s third touchdown of the game.
“I was just tracking my guy,” Joseph said, “and I saw the ball right there. So I was like, I’ve got to make the play. It just came right to me.”
Joseph wants his impact on the team to be more than just what he does on the field. He’s already assisted some in that regard, helping convince Northwestern teammate Garnett Hollis Jr. to transfer to WVU. Yet Joseph also wants to lend his voice to the locker room as someone of influence.
That, he said, has been a project since he’s come to Morgantown, not just ingratiating himself with the team, but coming out of his shell as a person as well.
“That’s a part of me that I want to grow at,” he said. “Naturally, I’m a laid-back person, a quiet person. So when I came here, I challenged myself in that I’ve got to start being more open, start talking to people, just building better relationships.
“Once I build a relationship with guys, I know what buttons to push to push them,” he added. “It definitely comes with confidence and growth.”
Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said Joseph has done well growing into West Virginia’s defense and growing as a vocal leader of the unit.
“The only way that happens is playing together,” Lesley said. “The more they do it, the more comfortable they are whether that’s the communication piece or just lining up and playing the defense. And I think that’s really, really helped Jaheem. Jaheem is an extremely smart kid.”
Lesley said it’s not easy for a player to transfer to a new school after several years at his previous stop. He’s spent years in a different system in a different conference.
“And then, now, here’s something different, even though they’ve played a lot of ball,” he added. “The more they play, the better they are, and that’s really borne out with Jaheem.”
As Joseph finds his voice at WVU, he’s trying to tune out the voices from outside the program, some of whom may not always speak highly of the Mountaineer secondary. He admits he hears what is said and sees what is written, but he tries to put it out of his mind.
“We’re not worried about the outside noise,” he said. “We just attack every day, every opportunity to get out there are prepare to go 1-0 every week.”
— Story by Derek Redd
