Over the course of one month defensive back Greg Liggs, Jr. has taken a hammer to Elon football records of all kinds. 

The redshirt senior set a program mark with three picks on Oct. 5 at New Hampshire. Three weeks later, Liggs matched his own record in a 38-13 romp over Rhode Island. He picked off another pass in between, Oct. 12 against Delaware, for seven in October. 

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“He’s hot, man. I don’t know I’ve ever seen seven picks in three games,” Elon coach Tony Trisciani said.

That’s the most for any Phoenix in one season, let alone one month. This stretch gives Liggs 14 for his career – most in the program’s Div. I history, passing Dwayne Ijames. Having a friendship with Ijames makes the record a little more meaningful to Liggs. 

“That pushed me a little harder,” Liggs said with a laugh. “All the work that went into it, just having that in back of my mind, I knew if I didn’t get it, he was going to have that one up on me. It was good to have that kind of competitive advantage.”

Are you surprised? Greg Liggs, Jr. is your @CAAFootball Defensive Player of the Week!

ℹ️ | https://t.co/htCJlEeC5I#AED #CAAFB pic.twitter.com/ECrvDTnW4G

— Elon Football (@ElonFootball) October 28, 2019

Liggs called the relationship one of “mutual respect,” but it also speaks to the defensive back’s competitive fire. 

A leader for the 2019 Phoenix, Liggs has done his part to push Elon to back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association wins after a three-game losing skid. The Phoenix are now in the thick of a playoff chase with three games remaining. 

Liggs said he hopes to extend his new program a little further, in the process, helping with that goal of making a third consecutive FCS Playoffs. 

The Greensboro native’s greediness is an obvious boon to the Phoenix; turnover creation’s always a primary goal of any defense. But Elon has been especially prolific in this regard, ranking No. 14 nationally with a plus-7 turnover margin – and seven, of course, is the difference in Liggs’ picks. 

Beyond just creating takeaways is how Liggs does it. Trisciani called him “dangerous with the ball in his hands,” which proved pivotal in the Oct. 26 defeat of Rhode Island. 

Liggs snagged one from the CAA’s leading passer, Vito Priore, and ran it back 31 yards to the Rhody three-yard line. One Joey Baughman touchdown later, and the Phoenix pushed their 17-13 lead in the third quarter to 24-13. The flood gates opened from there. 

While one might wonder how a quarterback avoids throwing in Liggs’ neighborhood, the answer is hardly simple.

FIVE takeaways today and Greg Liggs, Jr. etches his name in the books, now with 14 career INTs to top our Division I records! #AED #MayhemDefense pic.twitter.com/ar9hCnPUAr

— Elon Football (@ElonFootball) October 26, 2019

“I know if he’s in zone coverage, I’d rather not throw to him if I’m playing quarterback,” Trisciani said. 

But Liggs’ ability to move around the defense means it’s not as easy as throwing away from whichever receiver he might be covering. 

“He moves around a little bit in some of our packages,” Trisciani explained. “Those picks Saturday were at the safety position, where he had three the previous week at the corner position.”

“When I’m at corner, I can play with that ‘I’m better than you’ corner mentality,” Liggs said, his self-professed competitive nature showing. “I’ve always loved that, because I’m a competitive type of guy. 

“On the other hand, playing the safety spot, playing nickel when we go to our third-down package, having that freedom is the fun part. When I go to safety, I have my responsibilities, but I have less of the ‘if I mess up, it’s a touchdown.’ With that, it gives me a little bit more freedom … to have some more fun with the position.”

Whether he’s at cornerback or safety, Liggs’ experience as a ball-hawk on the previous two Elon playoff teams has him poised to end his college career with a third postseason appearance. 

And maybe some more broken records along the way.