Ainsley Battles arrived at Vanderbilt in the fall of 1996 as a heralded safety prospect from Lilburn, Georgia. Four years later, although Battles was rarely in the limelight because of several highly-decorated players on Vanderbilt defenses during his time, Battles was without a doubt one of the most rock-solid safeties ever to play at Dudley field during his Vanderbilt career.

Consistency was Battles' hallmark- he started every game from his sophomore through his senior year, leading SEC defensive backs in tackles during both his junior and senior years. But Battles was more than just a great player- he was also a leader, and was elected captain during his senior year.

Although Battles was more of a steady player who rarely made mistakes than a spectacular one who was often in the limelight, he did have some key plays that stand out. As a junior, he was SEC Defensive Player of the Week following his standout performance in the win over South Carolina, and had two sacks and three tackles for losses over a two-game span vs. Georgia and Northern Illinois in 1997. Battles was also a special teams standout and was named the team's top special teams player his freshman season after not playing in the first three contests.

Fittingly, the underappreciated Battles was not chosen in the NFL draft after his senior season in 1999. However, an outstanding performance in training camp earned Battles a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, where he started the final game of the season. Released the following season, Battles signed with Jacksonville and was a key contributor in the Jaguars' secondary the past two seasons, starting fifteen games the past two seasons. Battles was again released after the 2002 season, but hopes to catch on with another team for 2003. The highlight of Battles' NFL career so far: a 60-yard return of a fumble for a touchdown on Monday Night Football in 2001.

My memories of Ainsley Battles: What I most remember about Battles is that he never seemed to miss a tackle. Given that Commodore defensive backs were often left one-on-one with opposing receivers in Woody Widenhofer's schemes which featured constant blitzing, it's hard to underestimate what Battles meant to his teams.

Two other things that stand out- his intelligence and his outstanding play against the run. Battles often cheated close to the line just before the snap to antcipate the run or help out on the blitz. He had excellent tackling skills- he seemed to wrap opponents up around the legs and not only make the play, but also prevent much yardage after contact. As a senior, he was second in the league in total tackles behind All-American teammate Jamie Winborn.

Some may disagree with my selection of Battles- the highest honor he ever attained was Second Team All-SEC during his senior year; the NFL underestimated him, too, and he's gone on to a decent career since. But I hardly remember a player who was more consistent and made fewer mistakes, and that's why I have him ranked here.

Andrew Kerr's Thoughts on Battles: Although I am highly likely to be biased because Ainsley is one of my good friends, I think that he is probably the best safety to come through Vanderbilt in the last ten years. Looking back it is hard to believe that he was actually the weak link in the secondary in 1997 when we had that tremendous defense and Chavous and Vinson at the corners. Battles played at such a high tempo, was fiercely competitive, and genuinely loved to play the game. His football instincts were as honed as Winborn and he always seemed to make big plays when needed. His instincts and enthusiaism will continue to serve him well as he recently inked a deal to play for the Buffalo Bills next season. We wish him luck and will try to get a feature story with him as soon as possible.

Year Tackles TFL SK INT FF/FR PBU

1996 14 5-29 2-12 1-26 0/0 1

1997 52 3-7 2.5-26 0-0 1/0 4

1998 100 3-7 2-23 1-49 3/1 9

1999 113 8-29 1 0 /3

YEAR TEAM G GS Int Yds Sacks TD

2000 Pittsburgh 16 1 0 0 1.0 0

2001 Jacksonville 13 11 2 26 1.0 1

2002 Jacksonville 16 4 1 6 0.0 0

TOTAL 3 NFL Seasons 45 16 3 32 2.0 1