Ishmael Adams has been terrorizing opponents' special teams all season long and has barely even been recognized. Initially, he wasn't considered as a kick and punt returner, and he didn't even earn the job until late last season.
The Bruins failed to find a consistent return man last season after losing All-American running back Johnathan Franklin. The job looked as though it was Steven Manfro's to lose, but injuries led to more inconsistencies and it became a glaring weakness.
The coaches threw a few names around in a meeting prior to last year's Pac-12 Championship Game. They settled on Adams and do-it-all linebacker Myles Jack. Adams immediately won the job with a standout performance against Arizona State when he gained 234 yards on returns, one of which was a a 58-yard kickoff return and another a 49-yard punt return.
Turns out, he can maintain that production throughout the course of a season. The redshirt junior defensive back, who has won two Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week awards this season, is regularly putting up similar numbers.
So once again, what took so long?
"I just don't think they knew I could do it," Adams said. "I didn't really do it much in high school so I didn't expect them to just be like, 'Oh, you want to go back there?' And I never brought it to their attention that I could do this. I was just more focus on last year getting this defensive back spot because we had a great battle."
But he's locked up that spot as well because of similar abilities. A sprinter in high school, the corner back has learned to utilize his speed while better trusting both his instincts and his blockers, and it's led to two interceptions returned for touchdowns -- one for 95 yards that once again came against the Sun Devils.
"They were going on a drive against us and I had just gotten the (pass interference) a play before so I was really upset about that," he said. "So I felt like a play needed to be made. If it's meant to be, it's up to me to say so. So I wanted to make sure I was perfect on my coverage.
"A guy tried to stem me and take away my leverage, I took it back and once when he made his break the guy believed that (the ball) was dead and so did his quarterback. I stayed committed to it..
"I needed to catch the ball. I saw the sideline and I stayed committed to the sideline and I saw the flow of elephants to the sideline and I saw the wall that my guys naturally created so I just took it back the other way and they met me down in the end zone."
A very visual person, Adams like to visualize himself making explosive plays. He went to bed Sunday night after watching his pick-six so he could go to sleep on a high note. But he visualizes all scenarios -- where his blockers might be, how the other team will react -- and anticipates those reactions on the field.
Adams used a lesson learned in kick return drills to set up that touchdown run.
"I always remember when we do field goal or field goal returns that they're all lineman," he said. "Elephants on parade. I had to remember that and make a great decision carrying it to the other side."
It doesn't really matter what took so long to name Adams the return man, because now he's one of the best in the country. Naturally, his goal is to be the best at both positions--returner and defensive back -- but he has the attention of his oppositions' offensive and special teams units and that attention is firm.
.@brittanyheld got a few mins with @ishadams at last week's Oaks Christian game @foxsportswest @uclaathle https://t.co/1AxKEIBzvT
— Pete Stella (@PeteStellaFOX) September 26, 2014
