Feature: Spencer For Hire
Spencer Adkins, Naples' all-everything defensive end, could become one of the most sought-after recruits ever in Southwest Florida
By DEREK REDD,
[email protected]
August 8, 2004
This is the vision quarterbacks fear when they drop back to pass.
Naples defensive end Spencer Adkins, all 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds of concussive force, barrels forward with 4.5 40 speed. He's a Bengal tiger wrapped in blue and gold.
But, just as Edward Hyde has Henry Jekyll and the Incredible Hulk has Bruce Banner, Adkins is a monster on the field, but a calm, collected team leader off it.
"All coaches want guys who cause wrecks on the field and are gentlemen off the field," Naples coach Bill Kramer says, "and Spencer is that."
This human hurricane (and maybe he'll become a Hurricane, or perhaps a Gator or a Seminole) is the target of nearly every major collegiate football program in America. But they'll all have to wait. Right now, Adkins has only one goal in his sights — the state football title he came one win away from capturing last year.
Adkins says he finds all the accolades — his name in countless recruiting magazines and Web sites — flattering.
"I'll look at them once in a while at a friend's house, but I don't really go about looking for my name, though," he says. "Little me, that little 180-pound freshman to where I am now, it's satisfaction. I know I worked for it."
When he did take the field the first time as a "little" freshman, he had no idea he'd become one of the most sought-after recruits in Florida.
The dream of a state football title, though, came as early as the seventh grade.
Adkins would hang out with the usual group of guys — future teammates Jamelle Eugene, Joe Cosimano and others — and, Eugene says, they'd talk about their future as football players.
"We all thought we'd be on the freshman team, and then, when we were seniors, we'd win the state championship," says Eugene, the 2003 Broxson Trophy winner as the area's best player. "We looked at each other as the next thing. We'd try to take over each position and hold it down."
But Adkins never spent much time with the freshman team. Head coach Bill Kramer took one look at him and knew he should move up.
"When I first saw him on the field, I told his parents he could be the biggest recruit out of Southwest Florida ever," Kramer says.
He'd never played a down of Pop Warner football. He liked basketball, just like his dad, Lester. So Adkins admits the early promotion surprised him.
"When I started, they told me I could play on JV," Adkins says. "And I was like, 'Man, I'm just coming in.' Once I got on the field, everything was natural.
"I was going full speed because I was nervous," he adds. "I was almost making plays by accident. I was just going."
Adkins really began turning heads the spring of his freshman year when, in a preseason game against Bishop Verot, the Vikings offensive line had trouble keeping him away from quarterback Josh Vogelbach. His sophomore year, he was named to the Class 5A all-state third team.
As a junior, he fought through constant double- and triple-teams to record a Southwest Florida-best 14 sacks. The Naples defense pitched seven shutouts in 2003, the Golden Eagles reached the Class 5A state title game for the second time in three years and Adkins was named to the Class 5A all-state first team.
Adkins dominates with an uncommon combination of strength, speed and agility. He can bench press 335 pounds, power clean 340 and parallel squat 555. At April's Nike Football Training Camp at the University of Miami, he posted the highest overall score in the SPARQ test, which combines several feats of strength and agility.
The SPARQ test takes a player's height, weight, 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle times, vertical jump and bench press into consideration. Adkins scored a 101.7, the only Miami camper to break the 100-point barrier.
The SPARQ Web site compared Adkins' score to that of former Hurricanes and current Denver Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams.
Williams' score was 100.8.
Those combine numbers definitely translate to the football field, as Eugene can attest.
Running backs must block in the Golden Eagles' veer option offense, and Eugene often has to key on Adkins in practice.
"Blocking him is the toughest part of practice," Eugene says. "I wanted to get bigger and I wanted to get better. Knowing I've got the best defensive player in the state in practice every day, I know there's nobody else that's going to be harder to block."
On a defense loaded with potential Division I football players, having Adkins on the field makes everyone else's job easier, defensive end George Byrd says. When the other team wants to run away from Adkins, they come right to Byrd, and he doesn't mind the extra tackling opportunities. Byrd's voice quickens as he tells of the time Adkins knocked a Sarasota High fullback into a Sailors running back, sending both sprawling to the grass.
"He tackled that guy without even touching him," Byrd says with a smile. "He's just a natural athlete that wants to get everything done. He's got it all."
As a three-year starter, Adkins has become a leader of the defense. Learning to lead by example was easy. The path to becoming a vocal leader was more difficult.
Adkins has a body and demeanor that belies the fact he's not yet 18 years old. Muscles ripple on his chiseled physique. And while he looks menacing, his attitude is even keel. Off the field, he speaks with a laid-back tone.
IN THE RANKINGS
Here's where you'll find Spencer Adkins' name among the state and national recruiting publications:
— The Insiders Hot 100 — ranked 43rd, sixth rated LB prospect
— The Rivals 100 — ranked 76th, eighth rated OLB prospect
— Sporting News Top 100
— Athlon Top 100
— ESPN.com — Tom Lemming's 100 to Watch
— Street and Smith Seniors to Watch
— Larry Blustein (Floridakids.us) — Florida's Pre-Summer Top 100, ranked 7th
— Charles Fishbein (Floridakids.us) — Florida's Top 100, ranked 10th
— Mike Bakas (Canestime.com) — Florida's Preseason Top 101, ranked 12th
— 561sports.com — Florida's Top 100, ranked 16th
"I had to learn to be vocal," Adkins says. "I wasn't a quiet guy, I just had to get it out. I thought it in my head, but I didn't say it. Now I just say it, because it's so important to get a ring. I was scared of discouraging people.
"It's gotten a lot easier, because this team is all seniors and we want the same thing," he adds. "They know the drill, so I don't have to be loud all the time."
Kramer says Adkins' role as a vocal leader continues to evolve.
"It's a process," Kramer says. "He was not a confrontational guy with people he's close with, and he's close with a lot of people on the team.
"But there are times that leadership is confrontational," he adds. "For Spencer, that's the challenge. But when he's had to assume that role, that's helped him grow."
Many Division I schools eagerly await his college choice, but they'll be waiting for a while. Adkins says that decision won't come until after the football season. He has four official visits planned — Miami, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. All four are in the ESPN/ USAToday preseason top 10. The fifth visit is up in the air. He's projected as a collegiate linebacker. He's never played the position in high school, yet is considered one of the top 10 prospects in America at that spot by both TheInsiders.com and Rivals.com.
For a young man whose goal it is to rush the quarterback, Adkins says he won't rush this decision.
"I'm going to take my time," he says. "That's your life. This isn't high school any more. This isn't just about playing time. It's fun, but you're looking for a job now. Where you go to college will affect the rest of your life. It's not an easy choice to make, so I'm going to take my time."
The road to a college football career should be pretty smooth. Adkins has the qualifying grades and test scores, so there won't be any nervous waits at the mailbox for an NCAA Clearinghouse letter. And don't expect any Willie Williams-like transgressions. His parents wouldn't allow it, nor would his coaches. Nor would his friends, the same ones who dreamed of high school glory around the seventh grade lunch table. If he ever does show signs of an inflated ego, they'll let him know about it.
"My friends tell me all the time how sorry I am, just so I don't get big-headed," Adkins says with a smile and a chuckle. "They always say I'm going to college to play four years of special teams."
