CONWAY, Ark. _ The last line of defense needs to be the best, and for the University of Central Arkansas Bears, it just may be.

    The UCA defensive secondary returns a ton of experience and athletic ability for the 2019 season, which head coach Nathan Brown said will be an important key to any success the Bears will have.

    "It really helps me sleep at night,' said Brown, "because that's what people always see, those defensive backs giving up big plays or having their eyes in the backfield or a lot of the negative things that happen with them. But I think we have a really solid group back there.
    
    "Just like we said about our offensive line and running backs on offense, our defensive backs are that same type group on the defensive side of the ball. Very experienced group and should be a strength of ours going into the season.'

    A secondary that features a senior safety like Juan Jackson (5-11, 190, Gardendale, Ala.) should be a good one, according to Brown.

    "Any time you can have a guy like Juan Jackson back there calling the shots, you feel really good about it,' he said. "He's one of our leading tacklers the last two years, an All-Southland selection. He's just a very stable football player. We really tick with his ability and what he brings to the table every day. Juan is just such a solid football player. He's a great leader, has great leadership qualities. When he speaks, people listen. And then he's got experience. He is a guy that was an integral part of our 2017 Southland Conference championship. He was our leading tackler on that team.

    "He is a guy we can lean on, and I know no matter what, we can count on Juan being ready to play every Saturday.'

    Brown said Jackson's time on the offensive side of the ball during his prep days in Alabama has paid dividends at the collegiate level.
    "In high school, he was a big-time offensive player, played running back, played receiver,' said Brown. "So he understands offensive schemes. He understands angles, which helps him be in the right position. He's a really fast kid, a physical kid, but he also understands how to take angles at running backs and receivers to make tackles. And that's why he's one of our leading tacklers every year.'

    The remainder of the secondary may not have one standout like Jackson, but has many quality players to choose from.

    "What might make me more excited than anything are our cornerbacks,' said Brown. "Our top four corners are all back. You talk about (junior) Robert Rochell, a preseason All-Conference guy. You have (senior) Trai Mosley, a guy who was granted a sixth year of eligibility, so you know he has some great experience, understands the game, has been around the block for a lot of football.

    "And then (senior) Duke Upshaw, who may be one of the better football players we have on the entire team. He's just very smart. I'm excited about the way he plays the game. And then you add to the mix (senior) Brandon Northcross, and we get Deandre Lamont back. He tore his ACL last year. He is a very skilled kid back there. So just a very, very deep position at corner for us.'

    The other safety position opposite Jackson is still somewhat up in the air after the graduation of Michael Ware, UCA's third-leading tackler with 67 a year ago.

    "We still have a few guys who will have to step up, particularly at our field safety position,' said Brown. "We lost Michael Ware, who was our starter at that position last year. But (junior) Chris Kershner is back, and he had some starts last year late in the year due to injuries, and he did a great job with that. LeAndre Rucks is back and I'm very excited about him being healthy and staying healthy. He's struggled to stay healthy the past two camps.  And Isaiah Macklin is also healthy right now. So I think we have a very, very stable defensive backfield.'

    Brown said UCA's talented secondary makes the rest of the team better as well.

    "I think it's great because they make our receivers and our quarterbacks better every day,' he said. "We're going against one of the best secondaries in the league every day, so that's making us all better.'

    UCA's defensive backs are coached by Reggie Howard, a returnee on the staff, and newcomer Chaz Scales.

    "I think we have two of the best secondary coaches anybody could ask for. You have Reggie Howard coaching our corners. His experience of not only playing and coaching, but his knowledge of the game is invaluable. He understands what it takes to be a great corner, and ultimately a professional corner, one that played a lot of years in the NFL.

    "And I think Chaz Scales is a star in the making. He's coaching our safeties and this is his first year. He got an opportunity to intern with the New York Giants this summer, spent a couple of weeks with that NFL program, learned how they did things and brought a lot of that back with him and is using it to our advantage in our meeting rooms.

    "Both of those guys really set the tone and tempo back there. They have a lot of energy and a lot of knowledge.'

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