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Published Sep 16, 2005
Adams emerging as ideal bandit
Paul Konyndyk
SpartanMag.com Staff Writer
EAST LANSING – Michigan State head coach John L. Smith doesn't know where it originated. And he doesn't know who came up with name bandit to describe the hybrid linebacker/safety position employed the Spartans' Flex 4-3 defense.
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But Smith does know what it takes to make a good bandit. And sophomore SirDarean Adams apparently has it.
"It" is the flexibility to play the role of defensive back when facing a 3-WR set or to play the role of linebacker against a traditional I-formation power running team.
When Smith recruited Adams out of Bradenton (Fla.) Bayshore High School, he told him that bandit was one of the many positions he might end up at. Adams was also given consideration at running back and receiver.
After backing up Tyrell Dortch as a freshman, Adams came to the realization that bandit was the position for him.
"I never knew what it was until I came here," he said. "Once I came here, I found out what it was like, and you can have a great time playing the bandit. It's fun. Cause you get to cover. You get to come up and make tackles. You get to blitz. To me it's the best position on the field."
Two games against pass-heavy teams has shown Spartan coaches Adams' ability to thrive in the finesse side of the bandit position.
Against Notre Dame on Saturday, however, Smith and his defensive coordinator Chris Smeland will find out if Adams can be effective against the run.
If the Irish play smashmouth, will Adams resemble former Spartan Aric Morris, who would have been an ideal bandit in Smeland's defense, or will he resemble past MSU bandits Dortch and Monquiz Wedlow.
Wedlow and Dortch both played hard, but each player struggled against two-back power running attacks. Smith hopes that Adams can be effective against the run. He hopes the Bradenton (Fla.) standout can stay on the field for every play.
"I hope he can, that's something I would like to see," answered Smith when asked if Adams could play the entire game and have the kind of success he enjoyed against Kent State and Hawaii. "Hopefully he is doing it, doing it right and we are having success defensively."
Michigan State's defensive captain Cliff Ryan believes Adams not only can but will succeed in playing both the pass and run on Saturday.
Ryan believes that Adams has the rare physical traits necessary to play the unique position.
But Adams also has a rapidly expanding knowledge of the position, teammates say. "A lot of times he's making calls before the older guys make it," said Ryan. "He'll make a coverage call before Smitty [Eric Smith] makes it.
"That was very uncommon in the spring and preseason camp. He's being a leader, he's being more vocal and he's playing with a lot more emotion."
But can Adams shine against Notre Dame?
Neither Hawaii nor Kent State have a running back close to the caliber of Notre Dame's talented sophomore Darius Walker (5-10, 2020. Walker rushed for 786 yards as a freshman and is averaging a shade over 100 yards per game this fall.
Skilled tight end Anthony Fasano (6-4, 260), one of Quinn's favorite targets in Notre Dame's wins over Pittsburgh and Michigan, could also pose a potential mismatch for the smaller Adams.
Fasano has eight catches for 60 yards. Walker leads the Irish with eight receptions for 74 yards.
Adams has a tough assignment. But Michigan State's leading tackler is confident in his ability. Adams doesn't think his 6-foot, 220-pound frame is too small to be an effective run stopper.
Neither does Ryan.
"He can hold his own," Ryan said. "He's from Florida and you know how those Florida guys play; they take the game of football very seriously. I have 100 percent confidence in SirDarean. He's a tremendous athlete."
Adams says playing bandit takes heart. "Tyrell Dortch last year was like 205 and he did a good job," Adams said. "It doesn't really matter what you weigh. You could be 160 and it wouldn't matter as long as you have heart."
ADAMS TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE CLASSROOM
Adams didn't see the field too much as a freshman outside of his role on special teams. His limited playing time didn't stem from a lack of athletic ability. It had more to do with the lack of accountability in the classroom.
Adams' grades were not satisfactory. Smith wasn't happy about Adams' work in the class room. And he was blunt with Adams about it.
"Coach told me if I want to be part of this program, I have to focus on graduating," Adams said. "He really made that stick. That's really all I care about, playing football and graduating from Michigan State."
Smith backed up his threat by sitting Adams out for the last weeek of spring practice.
Adams took that message to heart. He changed his study habits and began making academic achievement a top priority.
"I had to pass my classes and focus more, basically I had to just grow up," he said. "I had to study harder, not try to cram everything in before the big test. Study two weeks before the big test or study the chapter each week so that when the big test comes I knock it out. Once I did that my grades went from terrible to great."
AN EMERGING STAR
Smith is ecstatic to see the success Adams has enjoyed on the football field thus far. But the Michigan State coach is even happier that his starting bandit is excelling in the classroom.
That success in the classroom prompted Smith to give Adams a shot at a starting job.
"In the summer he showed us in all the things off the field that he has made a real step in maturing to the point where we were saying I think he is going to deserve a chance. I think he tried to show us that. I know he did."
Adams says that he has become a better football player by becoming a better student.
"I think I may have taken football for granted," Adams said. "When something you love is nearly taken away from you, it opens your eyes."
By opening his eyes and become a responsible student-athlete, Adams has earned the respect of his teammates. His play on the field through two games has earned him the respect of his opponents.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn knows that the emergence of Adams has improved the Michigan State defense.
"Obviously that is one piece of their defense that shows tremendous athleticism," Quinn said. "It is a difficult situation for us. (Adams) has a lot of athleticism and speed. Having a player like they have in him makes it difficult for us."
Quinn knows the importance of the bandit position for Michigan State. That point has been hammered home by the success the Fighting Irish have enjoyed thus far with their own version of the bandit.
Maurice Crum plays a similar position for Notre Dame. The Irish call their hybrid safety/linebacker the Apache. And the Apache is a position that gave both Pittsburg and Michigan plenty of trouble.
"Maurice is very good at defending the pass and stopping the run," Quinn said. "Having a guy like that flying around gives an offense a lot to think about."
  • Click here for a video interview clip in which John L. Smith discusses the all-around development of SirDarean Adams: Smith on Adams.
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