RECRUITING: Adams Has Speed To Burn

There is a reason college football recruiters from all over the nation flock to south Florida and that is speed unmatched anywhere in the country. In the class of 2007, Deonte Thompson from Belle Glade was the South Florida speed demon everybody wanted. For the class of 2008, Harry Adams of Ft. Lauderdale Dillard has the blazing speed that draws recruiters like a magnet.

With a registered 10.31 in the 100 meters and 20.5 in the 200 meters, Harry Adams has very few peers on the track circuit. He has honed his skills as a sprinter since the eighth grade, but his first love is football and he sees that sport as his ticket to a college scholarship.

Asked if he could focus only on track, Adams replied. “No, I like football. I couldn’t do track only.”

Adams knows that with his speed he is always a threat as a playmaker, but he is aware that he requires so much attention that it helps his teammates.

“I can draw attention away from the defense, like with play action passes,” he said. “They can follow me, have and my other receivers catch passes. We are doing a lot of that right now in high school.”

Adams works on some phase of his game nearly every day. He understands that it’s the little things that often make the greatest difference.

“Every day after school I run routes, come home, lift weights and run through with weights,” he said.

His favorite football player of all-time is Deion Sanders of Florida State and NFL fame. Adams likes to believe he can both return punts like Sanders and put on a dancing show in the end zone when he returns a punt for a touchdown. In 2006 he scored three times on punt returns and had a few called back. In mostly a running offense, Adams scored eight total touchdowns for Dillard last year.

In long yardage situations he may be inserted on defense at the free safety position. That said, he wants the ball in his hands on offense and when he gets it, he thinks only one thing.

“End zone … all I see is the end zone,” he said. “It’s like, [what is the] best way I can get to the end zone?”

There are plenty of schools clamoring for his attention, but only one, so far, could be deemed a clear-cut leader.

“(It’s the) University of Florida right now,” he said. “I like that tradition … that tradition of winning. I like the offense they run. I know some of the players that they signed this year … I’m good friends with them.”

One of his good friends is Gator signee Deonte Thompson from Glades Central. They’ve competed against each other through the years and that’s helped them form a strong bond.

“We’re best friends, something like that,” Adams said.

The Gator coaches have also made an impact on Adams. Coach John “Doc” Holliday and receivers coach Billy Gonzales have been recruiting Adams for quite some time.

“Both of them are great guys,” Adams said. “They seem like they really care about the people who they recruit and they’re really interested in them.”

Adams visited Gainesville last season for the Alabama game. He left extremely impressed with what he saw. He also has been following enough to know where he would fit if and when he arrived on campus as a Gator

“The crowd was amazing,” he aid. “I was really astonished. Bubba Caldwell, when he leaves, I’m going to fill in his spot.”

Adams has offers right now from Florida and FIU, but there are two other programs that will have an influence on his decision before all is said and done, Auburn and Miami.

The Auburn Tigers have had somewhat of a hold on Dillard for well over a decade now. It seems there are always players from Dillard on the Auburn roster. Adams knows a few of the players and likes the Tigers for other reasons too.

“I like the atmosphere,” he said. “I’ve been there a couple of times and it is great. They’re nice people too.”

The Hurricanes get his attention because they are close to home and he knows all about them.

“I really like that because they’re close to my home,” he said.

In the end the decision will be Harry’s to make, but he will accept a lot of guidance from his parents on that decision. They also have a clear leader.

“Like I said, I’m talking to my parents,” he said. “It’s my decision, but it’s what they like too. They like the Gators … the Gator Nation. They think it’s great.

Adams plans on visiting Gainesville for the state track meet, April 6-7, plus he’s scheduling a couple of games at The Swamp.

He made all A’s on his last report card and has also made a qualifying test score on the SAT. Adams is now currently talking about enrolling in college early so that he can compete in the spring of 2008. He could also make some college track coach happy, but as mentioned earlier he isn’t dead set on running track in college. He does, however, consider the chance to be a dual-sport athlete a plus.

Harry Adams will be one of the most sought after prospects in the class of 2008, pay close attention. He is so fast you might miss him otherwise.