Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Charles Woodson credited with left and right corner, strong and free safety--all four
Kermit Alexander ... all four, and I stipulate that they start a full season at each of the four.

Have seen several LCB, RCB, and one of safety positions (Woodson) and Lott (LCB, SS, FS)

early days of left- and right safety is something I looked at, but still didn't find anything yet ... but
when they started flopping safeties, early 1960s from what I seen, maybe Bears in 1959 ---

Seen plenty of guys who played corner and safety, but all of them seems to be rare. These days
safeties in some Fangio-adjacent schemes back to left and right, not strong and free anymore
like it was for maybe 40-50 years

Kermit Alexander... there's a name I haven't heard in a while.
He was a decent returner too although I remember him fumbling a lot.

This is a tough one!
I thought maybe some of the Landry era Cowboys might be included; I remember Charlie Waters and Cornell Green changed positions during their careers but that "started for a whole season" stipulation is going to make this darn difficult.

FWIW,
Cornell Green started whole seasons at LCB and SS and had another where he is listed as a "DB" but started only 3 games.
And Charlie Waters likewise had full seasons at LCB and SS plus a season at FS where he started only 6 games and another listed (by PFR) as DB where he started 4 games.

JuggernautJ wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2026 6:02 pm Kermit Alexander... there's a name I haven't heard in a while.
He was a decent returner too although I remember him fumbling a lot.

This is a tough one!
I thought maybe some of the Landry era Cowboys might be included; I remember Charlie Waters and Cornell Green changed positions during their careers but that "started for a whole season" stipulation is going to make this darn difficult.

FWIW,
Cornell Green started whole seasons at LCB and SS and had another where he is listed as a "DB" but started only 3 games.
And Charlie Waters likewise had full seasons at LCB and SS plus a season at FS where he started only 6 games and another listed (by PFR) as DB where he started 4 games.

Right the full season caveat is a hard one because during a certain era, left and right corner had some meaninging, in that the LCB was "supposed" to be better at run force, the RCB was supposed to be more of the "cover" guy -- in theory, that is .... like the LDE vs RDE.

I found several that did 3 spots ... but very few with the 4, I found it interesting topic.

JohnTurney wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2026 7:51 pm Right the full season caveat is a hard one because during a certain era, left and right corner had some meaninging, in that the LCB was "supposed" to be better at run force, the RCB was supposed to be more of the "cover" guy -- in theory, that is .... like the LDE vs RDE.

I found several that did 3 spots ... but very few with the 4, I found it interesting topic.

Modern times I see examples of the best CB moving from side to side in order to cover another teams best Wideout. If that DB moves to the inside to cover a receiver in a 4 wide set, is he considered the SS if he does that?

Sonny9 wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2026 4:20 pm

JohnTurney wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2026 7:51 pm Right the full season caveat is a hard one because during a certain era, left and right corner had some meaninging, in that the LCB was "supposed" to be better at run force, the RCB was supposed to be more of the "cover" guy -- in theory, that is .... like the LDE vs RDE.

I found several that did 3 spots ... but very few with the 4, I found it interesting topic.

Modern times I see examples of the best CB moving from side to side in order to cover another teams best Wideout. If that DB moves to the inside to cover a receiver in a 4 wide set, is he considered the SS if he does that?

There are examples of an elite CB following the top WR. I don't know who was the first to do that ... Deion got credit for it, so sure, there are exceptions. In my post was basically referring to the era of SS/FS which began, let's call it, the early/mid 1960s. NFL teams, for whatever reasons deplayed their CBs nd safeties the same for several decades ... and I limited it to finding guys who were full-time starters for a full seasons.

The era of SS/FS is kind of over, with so many teams playing twin safeties, basically a lot of them are left- and right. So, if the strong side is to defense left, then the left safety would be the SS and the other one the "FS". And if the strength is to the other side, then the left safety would be the free and the right safety the strong.

In the case you mention, over the years, there are exceptions to the CBs, maybe a guy like Deion will travel with the top WR wherever he goes. However, if you see CBs moving now, it's because one is the boundary CB and one is the field cornerback, which was a college and high school think 25 years ago, but it has become the norm or close to the norm in NFL. The so-called "cover CB" will be on the single-receiver side, usually that is to short side, with plenty of exceptions and the other CB would go to the two-receiver side, usually the wide side and he'd take the outside guy and the nickel would take the slot receiver.

This is a colleg/Fangio influence that was not used in the NFL during the era of players being given a "position," and they'd stick to it.

As far as you question, it's a fair one. In-game assignments and how to describe them would likely vary from coach to coach and could vary in lots of ways.

So, maybe back in the day, in base you'd have a LCB, RCB, SS, FS ... but then on slot formations, then if offense played 2 WRs to same side and both CBs were on the same side, that would just, to me, be a formation adjustment. If the TE on the single side splits out a little, does that make him a WR and the SS a CB? Maybe technically yes, but I don't know if coaches thought about it that way. Maybe ask 3 coaches and you'd get 3 answers.

Might be the same for nickel defenses. Using Rams as an example, when they would use nickel in the mid-1970s, maybe used 5-8 times in a game, they would bring in the nickel back and he'd play safety and Dave Elmendorf would play slot. In 1973-75 they did it that way. In 1976, it was often the Rams bringing in a 3rd CB and they'd move Monte Jackson to strong safety, so, say Perry and Thomas on the outside, Jackson and Simpson at safety and Elmendorf in the slot. Later, Cromwell would be the "slot" or "nickel" moving from FS rather than what Elmo did, moving from SS to slot.

How to handle that kind of nomenclature is, I'd guess, up to whoever was describing it.

My opinion, as to your question, is if the game plan calls for special coverage on a top WR, then when he'd on the inside, I'd say the coach were refer him to a slot on that formation, not the right CB, if that is where he began.

When the NFL became a nickel league, let's call it maybe last 10-15 years, then all bets are off in terms. Since then, some teams still use a left- and right- CB, though it is rarer now, though it happens and because of that IMO, the set positions of DBs, that era, is faded almost out.

Sorry for long-winded answer, just my way of showing that I don't know correct answer, but would opine the era of set positions is gone, and we won't see same things now as with Woodson, Alexander, etc ... though we may see top CBs actually play more positions in a given game, even snaps at S and Lber.

One example would be Jalen Ramsey, from his "star" position and being a boundary CB in base, in a given game he plays LCB, RCB, Slot, Box, edge ... but simply got listed as "CB"

I think, however, the gist of the original post is that, however you decide to label the position, by whatever nomenclature you choose, it is very, very rare to find someone with the talent to play four different positions for an entire season over the course of their career.

It doesn't matter that much (to me) whether you want to call them LCB and RCB or Inside CB and Slot CB or Nickel and Dime or SS and FS... there aren't many who played any four of those positions for an entire year.
John named 2 in the modern (-ish) era: Kermit Alexander and Charles Woodson... were there any others?

A player who was very close was Dennis Thurman for Dallas who started at corner and both safety positions. He replaced linebacker DD Lewis in nickel situations as well. I am not sure if he played both sides at cornerback but was a hell of a player who deserves consideration for HOVG. He had 36 interceptions in regular season and added 7 more in postseason with 5 total returns for TDs. He also added another TD from a fumble recovery.

He could gamble and blitz or fake the blitz as well but could also get burned sometimes in coverage. Still, not bad for a guy drafted in the 11th round in 1978.

In 1985, Dwight Hicks and Ronnie Lott played both LCB and FS for the 49ers. IIRC, Lott was the LCB since he started in the NFL in 1981, while Hicks since 1980 was the full-time FS.

Kenny Johnson of the Falcons started his first four seasons at RCB, then was moved to SS in 1984. But after that season, injuries deariled his promising career.

Dave Brown was the Seahawks starting FS in their inaugural season, then had a HOVG-type long career at RCB.

Clarence Scott was the Browns LCB from 1971-1978, then the SS from 1979-1983, but in 1982 he is listede as the FS.

Brian wolf wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2026 1:05 am A player who was very close was Dennis Thurman for Dallas who started at corner and both safety positions. He replaced linebacker DD Lewis in nickel situations as well. I am not sure if he played both sides at cornerback but was a hell of a player who deserves consideration for HOVG. He had 36 interceptions in regular season and added 7 more in postseason with 5 total returns for TDs. He also added another TD from a fumble recovery.

He could gamble and blitz or fake the blitz as well but could also get burned sometimes in coverage. Still, not bad for a guy drafted in the 11th round in 1978.

Benny Barnes was the Cowboys starting RCB from 1976-1979, then after two backup/nickel seasons, finished his career in 1982 as the starting SS.