A lot has changed for Taj-Amir Torres over the course of three years at Boston College.
When the Amherst Regional graduate arrived in Chestnut Hill as a freshman, he was an undersized speedster who was still learning how to properly play defensive back. He played in 11 games in his first year, mostly on special teams, and compiled 11 tackles.
Now, Torres is listed as one of Boston College’s starting cornerbacks for its season opener Saturday against UMass. More than anything, Torres said, his mindset is drastically different from his freshman year.
“Three years ago, I was just happy to be here,” Torres said. “Now I feel like I’m in a place where I should be here and I’m one of the better players. My team pushes me, we have some of the best players in the country at practice every day, so working with them every day is a big thing and it’s helped me a lot.”
Last year, Torres broke into the defensive back rotation, making 32 tackles and deflecting four passes in 13 games of action. He made two starts as the fifth defensive back on the field, but had his breakthrough moment at Fenway Park on Nov. 18 against Connecticut.
Midway through the third quarter, Torres intercepted a screen pass and raced the other way 65 yards for a touchdown to effectively seal the win. The next week, Torres made a career-best nine tackles in a win over Syracuse, the second of the two games he started that season.
Torres said the pick-six was an important play last season, but said it was just another example of why he appreciates the chance to learn under BC defensive coordinator Jim Reid, a former UMass head coach, and defensive backs coach Anthony Campanile.
“It gave me a lot of confidence, but we prepared for it all week,” Torres said. “My coaches gave us a lot of great coaching tips about situations like that, and I just tried to take full advantage of it. That’s what I try to do at practice, we have great coaches who let us know what’s going to happen before it even happens and when I have the opportunity to take advantage of that, I try to do it.”
Eagles coach Steve Addazio called Torres “one of my favorite guys” Wednesday on the ACC’s coaches teleconference because of the dedication he has shown throughout his career. Addazio said Torres has learned how to use all of the intangibles that attracted BC to the 5-foot-9 cornerback to help him fine tune the technical side of his game.
“He has an unbelievable passion for football, he’s very tough, he has a great work ethic,” Addazio said. “What I’ve seen from him is he’s taken that and learned how to work on the details of his game. He’s become a student of the game. He always had a great passion and a great work ethic, but I think he’s a much more detailed player right now.”
It is fitting that Torres’ senior year begins against his hometown team, especially given the expectations placed upon BC this season. Torres did make two tackles in the Eagles’ 26-7 win over the Minutemen on Sept. 10, 2016 at Gillette Stadium, but he’ll play a much bigger role in Saturday’s contest.
Torres said he isn’t sure how to describe the emotions of facing UMass as an Amherst native, but there is no doubt where his alliances lie in the game.
“It’s kind of a weird feeling because I grew up right down the street watching those guys,” Torres said. “But right now, I’m at Boston College and I love my team, so I’m just going to go out there and play as hard as I can.”
Torres will be one of the many players Addazio tasks to slow down a high-octane UMass offense that has averaged nearly 41 points per game over its last eight contests dating back to last season. The Eagles have one of the best secondaries in the ACC, led by preseason All-American safety Lukas Denis, and will provide a stiff challenge for the Minutemen.
Last season, BC was the 24th-ranked passing defense in the nation, allowing 192 yards per game, but only surrendered 10 passing touchdowns, the second-fewest in the country. Torres said there isn’t anything complicated to the Eagles’ strategy on defense against UMass.
“We’re just going to play hard,” Torres said. “They’re a good team, but if we have an opportunity to make plays on the ball, we’re going to try to do that.”