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Dillion Winfrey has intercepted eight passes in the last four games but faces a huge task Sunday against the Duke City Gladiators in the Indoor Football League semifinal at Footprint Center.
The Rattlers (13-2) , who play at 3:05 p.m., can reach the Sept. 12 United Bowl for the third time since joining the league in 2017 with a win over a team that has relied on the arm of quarterback Nate Davis.
Davis’ 79 touchdown passes beat out Rattlers QB Drew Powell for first-team All-IFL, which was announced on Friday.
That nod for Davis might motivate Powell, who has run for 37 TDs and passed for 35 scores, leading the Rattlers to the best record in the league.
Davis’ achievements on an 8-7 team also motivates Winfrey, who has been on a mission since Davis riddled the Rattlers’ secondary for six touchdown passes in a 60-48 loss to the Rattlers in Phoenix on July 31.
The Rattlers have won four straight since then with Winfrey intercepting three passes against Tucson, two passes against Spokane, two passes against Frisco and a pass on Sioux Falls’ first possession of last week’s 69-42 first-round game.
“We definitely need to focus on Duke City,” Winfrey said. “Come out here and finish the week off right. It’s all in the preparation. When you prepare, man, the football gods always show love.”
Winfrey isn’t over-analyzing interceptions streak. The interceptions, he knows, comes by working hard in practice. Being ready.
“If you don’t prepare, you don’t get the love,” he said.
Winfrey has “NFLbound02” as his Twitter handle. That’s always been the goal since playing at Central Arkansas as a 5-foot-8, 175-pound cornerback after starring at wide receiver in high school with 62 career catches for 1,359 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also was a top defensive back in high school.
He had four career interceptions in high school and two in college.
He never had a season like this one with a league-best 12 interceptions. He made first team All-IFL and figures to be the front-runner for Defensive Player of the Year.
Winfrey doesn’t dwell on getting to the NFL.
He was baffled that he got no call from an NFL team after he felt he had a “phenomenal pro day.”
“I was top five in the country for every test, I think,” he said. “I didn’t really have a senior season. I think I played two games my senior year (due to injury). I was just trying to get in with a pro day.”
He had two Canadian Football League private workouts with Winnipeg and Saskatchewan but both teams wanted him as a receiver.
“Although I could play receiver, I wasn’t polished route-wise,” he said. “I feel like my chances were good at receiver but I could control my destiny better at DB. At receiver, you need the line to give the quarterback time and you need your quarterback to be accurate.”
Winfrey wasn’t even recruited by the Rattlers.
He found out about a tryout and flew out to the Valley in 2016. The Rattlers liked want they saw but he said they didn’t call back.
At the next open tryout less than a year later, Winfrey returned showing off not just his cover skills but his abilities as a receiver.
He convinced coach and General Manager Kevin Guy enough that he was signed by the Rattlers.
The rest has been history.
He’s been a force in the secondary in 2018, ’19 and now this year. Now he ranks right up with the best DBs the Rattlers have ever had, including Jeremy Kellem, Virgil Gray, Marquis Floyd and Arkeith Brown.
“Dillion’s a very intelligent guy,” Guy said after last week’s win over Sioux Falls. “He’s a total pro. He reminds me a lot of Jeremy Kellam in the way he carries himself as a person.
“He’s a great leader for us in the locker room, as well.”
Winfrey has no doubt he can get to the NFL.
“I know I can,” he said. “That’s always the goal. To dominate and to be the best. If you don’t want to be the best, you’re in the wrong sport.”
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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