2018 Louisiana WR Doyle Adams Jr. Ready for Another First Team All-State Season
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
When it comes to postseason honors in Louisiana 4A high school football in 2017, safe to say that there will be hundreds of receivers competing for two open spots with the third spot already taken before the first snap of the season. All receivers will be playing second- or third fiddle to Benton High School senior standout Doyle Adams Jr. this year.
Adams’ rise through the masses of extremely talented Louisiana receivers has been a steady burst of offensive explosions since his sophomore season. The 5-10, 185 pound, talent snagged 57 passes for 513 yards with four touchdowns in 2015, also taking seven kicks back for 119 yards. He earned his spot among the best in the Sportsman’s Paradise breaking clean from the pack during his junior year securing 86 receptions for 811 yards with 14 scores. His all-purpose abilities expanded scoring the ball in three additional ways – passing, rushing, and on kick return. All the hard work added mementos to the scrapbook taking home first team All-City, first team All-Bossier Parish, first team All-District, and first team All-State honors.
College programs are starting to take notice of Adams’ work on the field. Interest is coming in from Louisiana-Lafayette, Cornell, and Louisiana-Monroe with others waiting to see just how explosive the Benton area product will be during his defining senior season. College coaches will be happy to know that Adams works as hard in the classroom as he does on the field. Going into his senior year, all the classroom work is essentially taken care of sporting a 3.85 GPA with a 23 on his ACT. As the true competitor that he is, he is taking the ACT again in October seeking a higher score.
In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with one of the top overlooked talents in Louisiana’s 2018 class getting an overview on his offseason workouts with a look ahead to the upcoming season.
*Interview conducted before Benton’s game on Friday against Parkway
Interview
Doyle, you have been all over the field tearing up the yardage as an all-purpose talent, where all will we see you on the field in 2017?
“You will see me more at inside receiver (slot) but some on the outside. You might see me some at defensive back this season too. I will be returning punts and kicks this season as well.”
How have you physically prepared for your senior year?
“Besides working out, I have got myself prepared mentally for the season. Football is physical but mental as well. I imagine what I will do on each play – how I can get it done that way as well. Physically, I did a lot of agility drills, footwork drills, and a lot of ball oriented drills. I worked on my reaction time with the football flying at you – getting my head turned around and making the catch.”
How has your game improved from the end of last year to the beginning of this season?
“I think it has improved by me being more explosive. We have done a lot of lower body work. I want to be the guy that is hard to take down and is getting a lot of yards after the catch. The main thing is being more explosive this season.”
Did you attend any college camps this summer?
“I did. My first one was Louisiana Tech, then ULL (Louisiana-Lafayette), Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M Commerce – that was a satellite camp with a lot of schools there, and then Southern Miss, ULM (Louisiana-Monroe), and Northwestern State.”
Of all the camps, which was your best camp performance?
“I think the Texas A&M Commerce was my best. It was crazy hot then. On the field, it was over 100 degrees. That tested everyone’s mental toughness. I got a lot of reps there. I did not know this at the time, but Deion Sanders was at the camp. I thought that was pretty cool.”
What did you do well at the camp to help yourself standout?
“I stepped up and got a lot of reps. I was confident in my route running and abilities. When I was younger, I was third or fourth in line wanting to see the routes first before getting out there. This summer, even if I did not know the route, and even if I messed up, I was going full-speed. All of my routes were crisp at the A&M camp.”
Have you set any visits for this fall?
“Not yet, but I might have an unofficial to Louisiana Tech coming up.”
How does Benton look going into the season?
“I think we look pretty good. We have a lot of experience coming back. We have our quarterback, Garrett Hable, coming back and our O-line is pretty much all seniors. We have a lot of guys returning that got good playing time last season. I think we will make a deep run this year with all our experience.”
We talked about where we will see you on the field, how will the coaches use you within the offense this year?
“You may see me get some handoffs this year – really, anything to get the ball in my hands.”
You guys open the season playing Parkway on Friday night. What kind of challenge does Parkway bring to the field for the Tigers?
“They are a well-rounded team with Justin Rogers (Elite 11 quarterback – TCU commit) and Terrace Marshall, he is a top receiver in the nation. We have a chance to show what we are made of. You have to play the best to beat the best. I am excited I love it.”
*Benton beat Parkway 23-14 on Friday, Aug. 25.
Are there any other games on the schedule you are excited to play this season?
“I’m excited for our district games. I’m excited to play Minden, North DeSoto, and Woodlawn (Shreveport) – all fun games this year.”
What goals have you set for your senior year?
“My goal is to separate myself from the rest. I want to do the little things better than the others. I want to standout on the field and be the best I can be. Really, I just want to do everything right to help my team win.”
Last question. What motivates you on the field?
“One time I sent in a highlight film to get evaluated. When it came back, the tip was to be more explosive on the field. I will use that as a motivation boost this season.”
Doyle, thanks for your time today and good luck with the upcoming season.
“Thank you.”
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Photo credit: Bossier Press-Tribune; No. 4 Doyle Adams Jr. leaves a defender behind
Photo credit: Bossier Press-Tribune; No. 4 Doyle Adams Jr. celebrates a touchdown