Fate pulls IMG Academy Safety Robbie Adams onto the Gridiron

Let’s face it, going through high school can prove to be very difficult and trying for any number of reasons for anyone and everyone; if still unsure checkout any number of Hollywood movies covering the subject. During high school the class work becomes more intense, interests in life begin to evolve, and a roadmap for the future starts to unfold leaving more questions than answers for most. Even our individual bodies start to mature opening up more potential opportunities for the future.

For East Hampton, New York native Robert “Robbie” Adams all of the previously mentioned trials and tribulations were magnified starting his freshman season. With a desire to become a Division-I baseball player, Robbie transferred from the comforts of his Long Island area home to go to school at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

For those not in the know, IMG Academy has quickly become one of if not the premiere college preparatory in the United States. IMG has a well deserved reputation for having one of the top all around athletic programs in the nation helping not only mold the minds of their students but also their bodies into, more times than not, next level performers.

One may not feel too sorry for Robbie choosing to attend IMG Academy in pursuit of baseball greatness, but one can empathize with him on traveling thousands of miles away from home to pursue a dream during a tough time in anyone’s life. Add to it that once presented with no longer playing baseball but working on baseball some 12 months out of the year, the love for the game was seemingly lost… what to do now? For Robbie he only decided to join one of the best high school football programs in the nation perhaps laying out an even bigger challenge to conquer, making the team and transforming into a football player with Division-I aspirations.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview we sat down for a one-on-one interview with Mr. Adams chronicling the Class of 2017 student-athlete from his decision to attend IMG Academy, switching from baseball to football, and succeeding on the field playing a new sport against some of the best high school competition in the nation.

 

Robbie, how does a Long Island guy from East Hampton end up at IMG Academy all the way down south in mid-Florida?

“I had heard about IMG and then we went down for a baseball camp before my freshman year. I really liked it for baseball. The next year I went down there for school to play baseball.”

What position or positions were you playing in baseball?

“I was a centerfielder and a pitcher.”

You’re no longer playing baseball though, what happened? Why did you drop baseball to pick up football?

“I guess I kind of got sick of baseball.”

Why is that?

“A lot of repetitiveness I guess. Baseball is a lot more intense, a lot more games, and you are doing the same thing over and over again.”

How did your freshman season go transitioning from baseball to football?

“I started out as a receiver. The coaches told me that was basically where I could learn the most about the game from the start. I stayed at wide receiver my freshman year. My sophomore year I played receiver and safety. Now the coaches are saying I could be a really good safety, so I am staying at safety.”

Does IMG have a freshman team?

“No. My freshman year they did not have a JV team either.”

IMG had a JV team your sophomore year right?

“They did. I started at receiver and safety for the JV team. I played a little bit with the varsity team my sophomore year, mainly at receiver.”

Walk me through your mindset going from one sport to another and then lining up against some of the top players in the nation that are three to four years older than you as a 5’10”, 160 pound, freshman.

“My freshman year was really tough. It was tough because first I was at a whole new school and in a whole new background. The football part was tough because we were so good. I was one of the youngest guys on the team. I wasn’t as big, physical, or fast as the other guys but the coaches helped me a lot. They helped me learn everything I know now, which makes me a pretty good player.”

What were your final statistics for your sophomore season on the JV team?

“I had two receptions for 63 yards and four carries for 25 yards on offense. On defense I had two forced fumbles, three pass breakups, a pick, and 28 tackles in four games.”

You have two years of learning, growing, and maturation under your belt, what is your mindset now when you take the field?

“I am a lot more comfortable. I’m used to the place, I’m use to the coaches, the drills, and my confidence has grown with it. I was going up against these top guys and unsure now I’m not afraid to go up against them. Now I just compete and do the best I can.

“I’ve improved a lot. I can cover the D-I guys. I still get beat but I can stay with them one-on-one.”

As an underclassman did any of the upperclassmen take you under their wing and help you out?

“My freshman year I was pretty much always with the coaches. This year (safety) Spencer Perry (Florida Gator commitment) has helped me out a lot and taught me some things. He’s a really good guy. Another guy that has helped me out a lot is (safety) Londyn Craft. He’s on my 7×7 team (Bar None) too. They’re both helping me out. They’ve both made me a better player and a better teammate.”

What are your strengths on the field at safety?

“I’m smart, I am able to read offenses and good at reading the quarterback. I’m a good athlete and I like to hit. I’m good in pursuit. The one thing I have to work on is deep balls, getting back. I can always learn to read the receivers’ routes better.”

What are your goals for the 2015 football season?

“Right now my main goal is to get a lot of playing time on varsity and to hopefully get some Division-I offers. I’m going to a lot of camps this summer. My other personal goal is academic, to keep my GPA above an A- average.”

What schools are showing interest in you?

“Right now Rutgers is the main school. I talked to their recruiting coordinator (EJ Barthel) at Rutgers about a week ago. They checked out my film.”

What did Rutgers have to say about your skill set?

“They said I have a really high ceiling and a lot of potential. They I also said I looked really good. One of the coaches at Navy also checked out my film. They contacted me as well. They said I was a really good player too.”

What college camps do you plan to attend?

“I’m going to Rutgers camp along with Northwestern, Duke, UNC (North Carolina), Princeton, Army – spoke with the Army coaches as well. I want to go to a school that is more academically challenging. Some of the northeast schools are a little bit better plus closer to home. My sister went to Northwestern so I like them as well. I might go to Vanderbilt as well. I talked to my parents about that but I haven’t made any decisions yet but I am thinking about camping there strongly.”

What are you doing in the offseason to prepare for the camps?

“In January, right after Christmas break and through March, the combine guys were here working out at IMG. So our workouts started at 6 a.m. to lift, go to school, have lunch, and then have meetings. We’ve started doing some field work and our lift scheduled was changed to after school to about 2 to 2.5 hours, intense.

“We have a really good strength coach. He’s helped me improve drastically athletically. I’m faster, bigger, stronger, and more explosive. Some days, on heavy lift days like on squats, we watch film on college teams or go over plays. We talk about questions we have, that’s basically what we are doing right now.

“I’m also playing on a 7×7 team, “Bar None.”

How is 7×7 competition going for you?

“We had our first tournament last weekend. We did well for our first time. We were 3-2 in pool play. We lost our first game. We were still getting team chemistry together. We played one of the top teams then lost in the playoffs.”

When you watch football on the weekends during the season are there any college players you like to watch play your position?

“I liked watching Texas’ safeties play. I do look up to Spencer (Perry) a lot, because the way he plays. He’s physical, he has size, he’s fast, and he’s a really good player.”

You mentioned academics a lot during our interview, do you know what you want to major you want to pursue?

“I want to major in something in business. Both my dad and uncle are very successful businessmen. That has inspired me.”

Who has made the biggest impact on your football career?

“Coach Adam Behrends, he was my JV coach, he taught me a lot. He played safety in college at Minnesota State. I’ve been athletically good enough to compete but he taught me the mental side. He helped me a lot with the mental side of playing football. If I made a bad play he would help me move on. I’ve gotten to the point were I can move past that bad play and I’m ready for the next play.”

What is your favorite part about playing football?

“Competing is my favorite part of the game. I love to compete. I like doing one-on-one drills against receivers. I like winning. I also like being with the team and being part of the team.”

 

Over the last two seasons IMG finished their seasons with records of 8-2 and 10-1 under the leadership of then head coach Chris Weinke, Heisman Trophy Award winning quarterback from Florida State. To give an accurate idea of the amount of talent IMG has produced over the last two seasons, 16 have gone on to sign Letters of Intent with top level college programs: QB Michael O’Connor (Penn State), OL Matt Murphy (Buffalo), DB Matthew Boateng (Kansas), QB Deondre Francois (Florida State), OL Tyree St. Louis (Miami), OL Mirko Jurkovic Jr (Ohio State), OL Evan Mallory (Cincinnati), OL Miki Fifita (Oregon State), DE Scott Patchan (Miami), DE Andre Taylor (Murray State), DL Hjalte Froholdt (Arkansas), DL Ryan Fines (Miami), K Stone Wilson (Florida International), LB Nick Thomas (Wisconsin), TE Tyler Mabry (Buffalo), and WR K.J. Osborn (Buffalo).

The depth of talent does not stop there. An additional 13 players from the Class of 2016 group are expected to sign with a D-I program next year. Eight players from that class have already verbally committed: DB Saivion Smith (LSU), LB Rahshaun Smith (Clemson), TE Isaac Nauta (Florida State), QB Malik Henry (Florida State), OL Tyler Gerald (Ohio State), WR T.J. Chase (Clemson), RB Tony Jones (Notre Dame), and Spencer Perry (Florida).

Nestled in the middle of all that talent learning from some of the most sought after high school players year after year is 5’10”, 170 pound, Robbie Adams. Robbie already runs a 4.6 forty-yard dash, has a 34” vertical jump, and a 10’ broad jump. More importantly he carries a 3.8 GPA helping ensure when the colleges he is most interested in come around he has the academic standing to be able to pick and choose which school he wants to attend instead of potentially settling for a school he might not otherwise be as interested in attending.

Robbie’s junior year will be a critical growth year for him on the gridiron. Even if he does not get a ton of playing time on the varsity level, getting snaps in practice, and being able to hone his skills at the JV level could see him in a position to be on the level of one of the many high school football stars that have come and gone during his short two years in Bradenton.

Playing at school where the student-athletes lives and breathes football and school work, one gets the idea young Mr. Adams is well on his way to a successful run through his last two years of high school ball.

 

Written by Ryan Wright

Photo credit: IMG Academy; No. 10 Robbie Adams