In a half-hour of scrimmaging Wednesday, cornerback Desmond Trufant handed out a few licks:

 • He jarred receiver Jermaine Kearse on a route that ran right in front of him.

 • He sent tight end Dorson Boyce sprawling off balance defending a pass thrown to him.

 • Even after new sensation James Johnson, a fellow true freshman, hauled in a 22-yard pass opposite of Trufant’s coverage side, it was the Wilson High product who put Johnson on his back just short of the goal line.

Just three weeks ago, on Aug. 20, Trufant faced all three players in one-on-one situations on his first day of preseason practice.

He was new. His inner clock for football was out of whack. And all three teammates soundly beat him up on the field.

No more.

“I think I’ve gotten better,” Trufant said after practice Wednesday, reflecting the radiance of a talented player who has overcome plenty to get to the doorstep of serious playing time.

“I mean, at first, I came two weeks late, so I was kind of new. Everything was so fast for me. Now, it’s sticking with me, and I’m hitting, tackling and making plays. That is what is making me play fast.”

Now that’s true makeup speed.

Nobody was certain what to make of Trufant at the time. When would he arrive? Realistically, what kind of contributions could he make after it was ruled a sign-language class he took at Wilson High did not meet the core requirements of the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse, and was suspended indefinitely?

So while teammates were busy learning the UW playbook, and contending for starting and backup spots, Trufant was in a university office studying poetry and reading two novels for an American literature course to fulfill the missing requirement.

“It was pretty much (like being back in high school), being in class in the morning until the afternoon,” Trufant said. “And then I came out here and watched practice just to stay mentally in the game. I was watching their footwork and a little bit of their scheme, and it helped.”

Finally, midway through training camp, Trufant was cleared to rejoin the team.

But he knew he was far behind.

“That gave me the mentality to be perfect, basically,” Trufant said.

So, coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt threw him into the fire. Immediately, he ran with the first-string defense, and then the backups, just to get him as many repetitions as possible.

“The thing that’s helped him out, he’s been in shape, and hasn’t gotten hurt – knock on wood – and he was here all summer,” Holt said.

“So he’s been around the guys.”

Days getting beat on short pass plays, long pass plays – scoring pass plays – became fewer and fewer. Soon, he was the one getting the upper hand.

“He is obviously a very talented kid, and he put the time and the effort in this summer, and showed he could be a real factor,” Sarkisian said. “He’s starting to show up more and more now.”

This week, Sarkisian and Holt decided to make a personnel switch in the secondary. Cornerback Justin Glenn was moved to free safety to shore up that position’s depth. The move was also designed to get Trufant more involved on a regular basis.

And when did he finally feel like he’d caught up?

“Probably last week,” Trufant said. “I was remembering my assignments, and remembering what I needed to do. I feel like right now, I’m having my best week from a mental side, like I know what I’m doing. It’s coming together.”

Of course, Trufant has the luxury others don’t. He has two older brothers who not only have gone through fall camps (Marcus at Washington State; Isaiah at Eastern Washington) and also play professional football.

“They both gave me advice, and told me to go hard, no matter what,” Trufant said. “They said, ‘You are going to mess up, you’re new to it – just go hard, use the athleticism and that will make up for it.’ ”

Todd Milles: 253-597-8442

todd.milles@thenewstribune.com