Preview: Revis Island
To an NFL receiver, "Revis Island" means maybe never making a catch-all game. That's because cornerback Darrelle Revis' defense can be so stifling, it makes opponents disappear on "vacation." The All-Pro defender has returned to the New York Jets this season and allows 60 Minutes cameras and Armen Keteyian into his world to report on how he has become what many believe to be the best cornerback in the game. Keteyian's profile of Revis will be broadcast on 60 Minutes Sunday, October 18 7:30 p.m. ET.
Asked to describe "Revis Island," he replies with a laugh. "It's some place that receivers do not want to go," he tells Keteyian. "We bring you over. We boat you back too. It's a vacation," says the smiling Revis.
60 Minutes cameras go back to Revis' home town of Aliquippa in the heart of Pennsylvania football country to speak to his family and trace his football roots. Keteyian also follows Revis to a boot camp for defensive backs he still attends each year in Arizona. There, Revis works on the basics to keep sharp, but also tries to take his game to the next level. Will Sullivan, Revis' private coach, works with him there. "You're talking about a guy that's come in every single year rebooting and then making sure that you're getting a newer version," says Sullivan.
In the first five yards of coverage off the line of scrimmage, it can get physical between receiver and defender. In that phase, how Revis physically handles his opponent can greatly affect whether he makes a catch downfield. Says Sullivan, "He's the best in the NFL in the first five."
Asked by Keteyian if he believes he is the best cornerback in the game right now, Revis says, "I don't even get into that, but my stats and all of that stuff speaks for itself. And...the film doesn't lie."
The Jets star is on the humble side compared to other sports superstars. He is making $16 million this season, but shuns the typical symbols of success. He lives in an apartment. "I'm a laidback guy...I'm very simple, it's simplicity with me. Everything else... the 10 cars or the 20 cars is... that's ludicrous."
His humility does not extend to his self-worth on the field. He negotiates his salary as hard as he plays. "You got to be willing to take risk. I have five contracts in seven years. That's...never heard of," he tells Keteyian. "If you're the best, you should expect to get paid to be the best."