Aqib Talib is not a quiet guy.

On game day his performance screams loud enough to warrant the second-team All-American status he earned last season. On the practice field, the junior’s good-natured taunts frequently rise above the din of whistles and the cracking of colliding shoulder pads. In front of the media, Talib turns the volume up a notch.

“It has to be double digits,” Talib said. “I have to get that record, I think the record’s 10, I just have to get it.”

Talib knows his Kansas history. The record he is gunning for in 2007 is the single-season school interception record. After snaring six interceptions last season and two in 2005, the Richardson, Texas, native plans to add to his stat line and the record book in a big way this season.

Talib’s talk may sound a bit loud, but he certainly has the credentials to prop up his predictions.

Talib reeled in some regional attention in 2005 thanks to a strong freshman season. He earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status from the league’s coaches, a rarity for a true freshman. At the start of last season, the accolades began to roll in. Talib’s name popped up on watch lists for national defensive awards and the preseason All-Big 12 team.

After sitting out the first two games of the 2006 season, Talib made a lasting impression in the final 10 contests. Although teams often avoided his side of the field, he led the nation in passes defended per game. Talib showed he was more than a shutdown corner, switching to the offensive side of the ball and making a sensational 42-yard touchdown catch at Missouri.

EARNING RESPECT

The most impressive testimonials come not from the stat book or Talib’s mouth, but from his teammates and coaches.

“Aqib has developed some of the good, strong leadership qualities that we were hoping for,” coach Mark Mangino said. “He’s a competitive guy who had to grow and mature as a person, and he’s done that. Football is serious business to him.”

The coach spent a substantial chunk of his half-hour, media-day press conference heaping praise on the player whom he suspended early last season for unspecified disciplinary reasons. The former rule-breaker has become a leader of the 2007 Kansas team. He was one of four players chosen by teammates as a team captain, and was the only non-senior to earn the distinction.

Mangino said he was pleased with the effort Talib showed in the weight room this offseason and that the cornerback is capable of doing almost anything on the football field.

“Aqib Talib is a very positive dude,” junior safety Patrick Resby said. “Everything that comes out of his mouth is positive. He’s just a great vocal leader.”

A LEADER

Mid-August Kansas heat can be oppressive enough to muffle almost any sound. Songbirds retire to nests and noisy kids head indoors. But the August sun stands no chance against Talib. Bounding along the sideline to offer encouragement and advice to less experienced Jayhawks, Talib sounds like a coach in shoulder pads.

“P-A-T! You’ve got to come up big!” Talib shouts at Resby during a two-minute drill. “You’ve got to play!”

Talib’s leadership could be important for a Kansas secondary short on Division I experience. The other cornerback spot is up in the air because of an undisclosed injury to junior Kendrick Harper. The safeties are sophomore Darrell Stuckey, who has only four starts under his belt, and junior Tang Bacheyie, recently converted from running back.

Kansas may have a few question marks on defense, but Talib is not one of them. Having a surefire NFL prospect shutting down one side of the field is the first step toward improving a pass defense that finished 2006 ranked last in the nation in yards allowed per game.

The next step is letting Talib’s wisdom and advice soak in among his teammates in the defensive backfield. If his teammates’ words are any indication, they are learning a lot.

“Aqib and leadership go hand in hand,” Stuckey said. “Sometimes he’ll be yelling, but you know he’d never tell you to do something he couldn’t do himself. His actions speak louder than his words.”

­— Edited by Elizabeth Cattell