Recruiting Q&A: OL David Spurlock

Roger Garfield is the prep editor of The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was kind enough to answer a few questions for me regarding recent commit David Spurlock. Roger graduated from Kalamazoo (Mich.) College in June, where he majored in English and also played on the basketball team for four years. Roger grew up in the Detroit area, where he says high school basketball is king. Says Roger, "I'm still trying to come to grips with the level of football talent in middle Tennessee and just the south in general. It's exceptional." Thanks again to Roger for answering a few questions for FSU It's Time.

1. What are the major skills of David Spurlock that you have observed?

In watching Spurlock this season, I was always impressed with his mobility for such a big guy. Opposing coaches talk about his quick feet and lateral movement as his biggest strength. His coach, Ron Aydelott, always mentions his above-average athleticism for a player of his size. And his strength - more than 60 pancake blocks - is certainly exceptional for a high school senior.

On the field, they ran his way more often than not. I'll always remember at my first Riverdale practice this season, when Aydelott was drilling the RBs to "follow Spurlock. Don't look for the hole, look for Spurlock." They'd always run his way on short-yardage situations. The offensive line was a big reason they went 11-1 this season, and he was unquestionably the anchor. They had no standout skill guys.

2. If you know, what kind of kid outside of football is he?

Outside of football, he's a very polite kid. Yes sir, no sir. Around his teammates, he's always smiling and joking around. He seemed to breathe life into the line, which was a very close unit. He's playing basketball for the first time in over a year this winter to improve his cardio, and I know the basketball players are happy to have him on board. He's a fun guy to be around. And his school loves him: He was voted Homecoming King this fall.

3. Does Spurlock committing to FSU come as a big surprise in your area?

It's a fairly big surprise because Florida State came into the mix late and also because Tennessee and Alabama had expressed a lot of interest in him earlier this year. (They pulled their offers this fall because they had supposedly met their quotas.) In talking to him this morning, he was happy they did because of where it has landed him. I think he just desired a place where he was wanted and where he had a chance to make an impact early, and he thinks he's found that in the Seminoles.

4. As an aside, I notice that Spurlock's high school has the exact same helmets as the Seminoles. Is there some connection to FSU at the high school?

They've sported those helmets for about 12 years to model Florida State, but other than aesthetic appeal, no one has told me there's any connection.