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Freshman sees opportunity
By TOM KUBAT
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For months, whenever the subject turned to Purdue's beleaguered secondary, Boilermaker coach Joe Tiller's standard comment was "help is on the way."
Tiller and his staff signed four junior college defensive backs -- Brandon Blackmon, Jonte Lindsey, Justin Scott and Terrell Vinson -- with the hope that all of them would be able to contribute this season, perhaps even start.
But Tiller's secret weapon just might be a high school recruit with the nickname of "Rolls Royce."
Royce Adams played in an elite program at Glenville High School in Cleveland, coached by Ted Ginn Sr., the father of Ohio State's all-everything receiver/returner Ted Ginn Jr.
"I really liked him when we recruited him, and I liked him when he came to our camp last summer," Tiller said of Adams. "I thought he had really good ball skills; I thought he could close on a receiver. I thought if we get this guy, we're going to get a real player who's going to be able to play early for us."
That remains to be seen, but the 6-foot, 180-pound Adams impressed everyone when he showed up on campus for the final two weeks of summer conditioning drills and weight room work.
Many times he had to be chased late at night from the Mollenkopf Athletic Center, where he was working overtime studying film.
"In high school, my dad and I watched a lot of film at home, so it basically came from that," Adams said. "And then I came here and saw all the players working hard, and I had to step up my game.
"I learned most of the coverages, if not all of them, for the defense. I've learned new techniques and put them together with what I know already."
One recruiting service had Adams ranked as the 52nd best cornerback in the nation and the 37th overall prospect in Ohio.
As a senior at Glenville, he had 57 tackles and an interception, and as a wide receiver he caught 40 passes for eight touchdowns. As a junior at Lakewood St. Edwards, before transferring to Glenville, he had seven interceptions.
Adams also returned kickoffs and punts in high school, something he hopes to do at Purdue.
"He's big for a corner," Tiller said. "He's 180 pounds right now, not like some of these 161-pound pencils we've brought in here in the past. So, yeah, I like Royce Adams.
"I think he's highly motivated to succeed. He's from Glenville. I think he wants everybody to know that Teddy Ginn Jr. is not the only player that ever played at Glenville."
That's for sure.
Adams, who picked Purdue over Iowa, estimates that between 21 and 24 Glenville players have gone to play Division I football the past four years.
"I picked Purdue because I saw an opportunity," he said. "They have a great tradition and a great coaching staff. I saw that they needed some help, and if I work hard enough I can earn a spot and help the team."
Oh yeah, about that nickname.
He's had it since he was about 7 years old -- because he always was on the go and competed so hard. He sports a tattoo on his upper right arm, with the words "Rolls Royce" above the face of a pit bull.
"That's my favorite dog because it's tough," Adams said. "And a Rolls Royce is a combination of smoothness and something above the ordinary."
Just what Purdue needs in its secondary.
