CINCINNATI – It's a good thing first impressions aren't everything. Adam Dempsey might not have made it past the first day of UC's weight lifting program this year.
"I remember the first time we were lifting with coach (Joe) Walker and we were warming up," said Dempsey. "I kind of lost my balance doing a stretch. He asked me: "Are you a starter?" I said "yeah" and he said "Ah, geezes". I thought ‘I'm not off to a good start here'."
Dempsey has overcome that initial clumsiness, proving he is much more than what the eye might first see. He's been doing that his whole career in Clifton, so it's really no surprise.
The defensive tackle from just across the Ohio River in Fort Thomas, Ky., played at famed Highlands High School. No program in Kentucky has won more state titles than Highlands and the Bluebirds are currently on a run of six-straight state titles. The streak began when Dempsey was a junior playing offensive line for them. He played on both sides of the ball his senior season but Division I college recruiters found him a little on the short side at 6-feet-2, despite what they were seeing on tape or in person. Dempsey walked on at UC.
For four years that was the status next to his name on the roster: walk-on. It was only a label to Dempsey. It's a label that is no longer attached to him.
After a practice at Higher Ground in August, head coach Tommy Tuberville announced to the team gathered around him on a collective knee that Dempsey, now in grad school, would be receiving a full scholarship. He had earned it and – coincidence maybe – his parents were there to hear the announcement. As members of the UCATS 1200 Club, they just happened to be at practice that day.
"I don't know if coach Tuberville knew that and just decided to that day make it happen or if it was a big coincidence," said Dempsey. "A lot of times you find yourself behind guys on the depth chart that you feel better you're than but you've got to keep battling through it and come every day."
Dempsey has rewarded the coaches and his team by working his way into the starting lineup. He's fifth on the team in tackles heading into Friday night's home game against Temple, including coming up with his first career sack last Saturday in the 26-20 loss at South Florida.
"He's overshadowed some of the other players by the way he plays," said defensive tackles coach Fred Tate. "He plays hard, he plays relentless and he gives you great effort every time he's on the football field. You can win with that. The thing is, the most talented player may not play but the best and productive players are going to play. He's been one of our productive players on defense, and has turned out to be one of our better players on defense at this point."
He played in 12 games last season, including the Belk Bowl against Duke. The Blue Devils scored a touchdown on the first possession of the game but Dempsey got through on the extra point attempt and blocked the kick. It ended Duke's streak of 69 consecutive games without a missed PAT, which had been the longest in the nation, and was the first PAT missed by the Blue Devils after 186 consecutive successful kicks. That was the second-longest active streak in the nation.
Dempsey didn't even know he had gotten the block.
"I had been in for one or two plays before it happened. I still had my adrenaline going," said Dempsey. "I was heated that they had just scored. I honestly didn't know I had blocked it until I went and sat on the bench and they had the (television) camera right in my face. I guess I must have got something. I didn't really feel it. My adrenaline was going, but they had the camera in my face."
Dempsey has played in all five games this season for the Bearcats; he started against Northwestern State and Miami. The defense started with three down linemen against South Florida but Dempsey finished with four tackles. Dempsey has seen other players before him – namely John Hughes, now with the Cleveland Browns, and Derek Wolfe of the Denver Broncos – get better each year and show there is more to playing football than height and weight.
"They were guidelines to follow, the effort they played with and the work they put in has been a manual for all of us to follow," said Dempsey. "Last year I felt I was just out there to do my job and not let the team down, where this year I feel like I'm a playmaker. I need to make plays and get the momentum going."
The memory of 2010 also drives Dempsey. That was Butch Jones' first season with the Bearcats after taking over for Brian Kelly. UC went 4-8, the program's lone losing record in the past seven seasons. Winning has become an accustomed feeling for the Bearcats, no matter who is coaching. The loss at South Florida dropped them to 3-2 this season and 0-1 in the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference.
"That year was rough," said Dempsey of 2010. "For those seniors, I know it wasn't what they had in mind, 4-8 and no bowl game. We just can't do that again. No one wants that."
