WINSTON-SALEM – Unconventional isn’t quite the word to describe the start of Nick Andersen’s college football career.

It sure wasn’t the normal start of a career for a walk-on safety. Andersen joined Wake Forest’s program in the middle of a pandemic, had three interceptions in his fifth game and was carried around the field to chants of “scholl-y,” earned that scholarship and played over 600 snaps for an 11-win team when he was a sophomore.

Maybe whirlwind is the word?

He uses “emotional rollercoaster” to describe last season, though, during which Andersen never played because of a fracture in his foot that he kept reinjuring.

“Up and down, you know? Get close to coming back, same injury. Supposed to come back, same injury,” Andersen told Deacons Illustrated after Wednesday morning’s fall camp practice. “It definitely was a test to your mental strength.

“But I’m better for it. Back, better than ever, stronger, faster, mentally and physically as strong as I’ve ever been.”

The fourth-year defensive back is an interesting player in Wake’s secondary. Andersen’s immediate success made him a national storyline as an 18-year-old; now that he has overcome last year’s nagging injury, he’s fighting to carve out a role for himself wherever he’s needed on Wake’s defense.

Andersen said he’s up to 195 pounds and at 5-foot-11, he packs a punch. He admitted that the 185-pound listing in his first season at Wake Forest was probably with him “soaking wet.”

You might see Andersen playing safety for the Deacons but you’re guaranteed to see playing nickel.

That has become his primary position and it’s where he’s working with the first-team defense along with another converted safety, Evan Slocum.

This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise: Andersen enjoys nickel because of how close it’s positioned to the line of scrimmage.

“When you’re closer to the line of scrimmage, you get to have a little more contact, a little bit earlier and I love that piece of it,” Andersen said. “I love being a safety and I’ll play the post or whatever but there’s nothing like being down there and being the first guy to tackle the guy with the ball.”

There’s a challenge in playing nickel that Andersen has embraced. While the consensus remains that quarterback is the most-demanding position, nickel is second.

It’s the position where you’re required to fill gaps in run support, but also cover skill players ranging from speedy and elusive slot receivers to big-bodied tight ends.

“Nickel is super hard to do because you’ve gotta be a big kid who can make tackles on a running back,” quarterback Mitch Griffis said at ACC Kickoff, “but you’ve also gotta cover guys like Ke’Shawn (Williams) and Taylor Morin.

“That is not easy.”

Acknowledging his opinion on the matter is slanted, Andersen agrees.

“Some may say I’m biased, but I like to think so,” he said. “You know, it’s a lot of space. You’re required to do a lot of things. Not just cover, but be a linebacker. … Be a deep safety.”

That’s also what he likes about it.

“I like being there, I like showing off every type of skillset I have and it’s a fun position, it’s really fun,” Andersen said.

Andersen still has the scar from that 2020 game against Virginia Tech. It’s almost perfectly centered between his lower lip and his chin, and it’s why pictures of him at the end of that game feature a blood-stained jersey.

That’s Andersen’s past; the future is at a new position with a body better suited to sustain college football’s physical punishments.

This is Nick Andersen 2.0.

Here were my observations during Wake Forest’s third practice of fall camp:

Equipment: Helmets, shoulder pads, shorts.

NFL teams represented: Chiefs, Buccaneers, Titans.

Was today won by the offense, defense or neither: Neither.

This was an evenly matched practice, which is what you want as often as possible.

There was only one turnover; that’s always magnified coming off a day in which the offense committed three. A few explosive plays, most of them through the air, were offensive highlights.

But the defense held its own. You always want to see how much pressure the defense gets when shoulder pads are on for the first time, and there were several down-by-contact sacks.

Catch of the day/newcomer of the day: Freshman safety Rushaun Tongue.

Two-for-one special here.

Tongue had the best catch of fall camp (it is early) when he undercut a mid-level sideline throw by Michael Kern, batted the ball in the air with both hands, and tracked it to complete the interception.

So the only turnover of the day was a beauty and the play was made by a freshman.

It goes beyond the interception, though. Tongue pairs well with classmate Davaughn Patterson at safety. As noted in previous camp reports, Wake Forest has plenty of depth and experience at safety. It would take some serious ascension by Tongue and/or Patterson, along with an injury or two, to see them start games this season.

When looking at a crystal ball of that position next year or further down the road, Tongue and Patterson are featured heavily.

Quote of the day: “Hey, we’ve gotta get a sub!” – defensive coordinator Brad Lambert

This was during a full-team segment when Wake’s offense was operating with some tempo. I think there was a substitution of a receiver, and Lambert looked to be perturbed that his defense wasn’t going to have a chance to make a corresponding substitution.

So, you know, before opponents experience Wake’s high-tempo offense during the season, the Deacons’ defense is the test subject.

Positional observations: Several to get through here …

- WR-DB 1-on-1s matched up Jahmal Banks and Caelen Carson right off the bat, which I love. Give me good vs. good, don’t beat around with weird matchups.

Carson won this one with a PBU on a short route.

- Couldn’t help but note Griffis is an equal-opportunity QB, at least early in fall camp. His first four throws in 7-on-7 were completions to (in order) Horatio Fields, Ke’Shawn Williams, Banks and Cameron Hite.

- Deuce Alexander makes a few plays every practice that make you think if he’s called on this season, he’d be an adequate replacement for Morin or Williams in the slot.

- Sometimes there’s no way for me to report on depth chart/positional observations without giving away formations and/or personnel.

So … [REDACTED].

- Kevin Pointer had a sack and TFL within three plays in the first full-team segment.

It’s always good to see a player you recently wrote about and was an enjoyable interview have a nice sequence.

- Took note of a Chris Marable Jr. TFL with the third team. Freshman defensive linemen face an uphill climb to play early but that’s one positive play from him.

- Griffis had the best throw of the day, a 20-yard throw to Gavin Ellis on the sideline. Had enough zip on it to get there quickly, but enough loft to get over Chelen Garnes in coverage.

- AJ Williams blew up Erik Russell for a TFL that occurred almost as soon as a handoff was completed. That was a second- or third-team rep at safety for Williams.

- Wesley Grimes was with the second-team offense for the second 7-on-7 period and had two good routes that resulted in completions from Kern.

- Back to full-team segments to end the practice and Jamare Glasker was the first-team cornerback (along with Carson).

First-team defensive tackles were Pointer and Isaiah Chaney.

- Hey, I’ve got Marable in here again for a sack of Santino Marucci. Two positive plays for a freshman defensive tackle on the first day with shoulder pads; if it wasn’t for Tongue’s interception, he’d have been the freshman of the day.

- David Egbe had a strong run to the left side, running with the second-team offense. There was a block that made the offensive sideline erupt and I’m kicking myself for not seeing who had it.

It’s the first week, I’m rusty.

- Nick Ragano’s number change (38 to 84) has thrown me off because he’s in rare company of seeking a higher number. But he’s still got the same knack for finding soft spots in coverage, and had a nice catch from Kern.

News of the day: No news is good news type of day, right?

The first two reports here have had news of a season-ending injury, a freshman who left the team over the summer, and Donavon Greene’s injury.

There’s no update on Greene and no further injury update … so at least those bullets are dodged for one day?

As a programming note: Wake’s first day without a practice — I’m not calling it an off day because the team still has meetings and I remember being educated on that by Justin Strnad a few years ago — is Thursday.