Washington’s Nimmers finds cornerback to be a lonely place sometimes

CEDAR RAPIDS - He's the Richard Sherman of the Metro.

Not in the yappy, trash-talking sort of way. Isaiah Nimmers seems more on the quiet side, at least when you get him away from the football field.

The Cedar Rapids Washington senior, affectionately known by everyone as 'Zeke,” is one of the top cornerbacks around. He is tied for second in Class 4A with three interceptions this season, which is actually pretty surprising considering few teams even bother throwing his way.

'Every team we've played so far this year, they always take one shot early at me,” said Nimmers, whose fifth-ranked Warriors (5-1) host Cedar Rapids Prairie (2-4) Thursday night at Kingston Stadium. 'If it doesn't work, they don't throw the ball to my side again. I'm always going to be prepared because I know I'm going to get at least one shot every single game.”

At the same time, he admits it gets frustrating when he is not part of Wash's defensive equation via choice of the opponent.

'You start to get anxious and try to be a little more aggressive sometimes,” he said. 'But as long as I stay cool and don't get too aggressive, I'll be fine. It does get boring sometimes, but you've just got to stay cool with it.”

There always is the offensive side of the ball for him to be part of the action. Nimmers has caught a team-high 23 passes, seven of them for touchdowns.

He averages 22.7 yards per grab. Washington likes to throw to him over the top, as well as isolate him one-on-one for a hitch pass or quick screen.

'I think he's been doing well,” said Washington Coach Paul James. 'Once he got through the first couple of games, I think he has been hitting his stride. He has the ability to lockdown teams better receivers defensively, and he's a threat for us catching the ball. He gives us a good punch there.”

Nimmers is a three-year starter, whose first career touchdown came as a sophomore on a last-second pass reception that capped a miraculous comeback win over Waterloo West. A military baby, he was born in Germany and also lived in Georgia and Illinois before coming to Cedar Rapids as a youth.

His father, Lawrence, coached him in several sports growing up.

He is trying to remain as patient as possible with the recruiting game. Nimmers has offers from Northern Iowa, Illinois State and South Dakota and is waiting on a couple of other offers.

He went to Iowa's summer camp and will take an unofficial visit this weekend to Northern Illinois. Colleges see him as an 'athlete” or, of course, a corner.

'Offense is fun, but I guess I like defense more,” he said.

He was asked what makes a good cornerback.

'Probably being physical and confident,” he said. 'Playing cornerback, you are going to get beat sometimes. That's part of the position. Being able to bounce back from that is important.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com