From a December USA Today story...On his right forearm, there is a
tattoo of his mother. Above his left wrist another reads: "I love
this game."
His mom's name is Sherry, I definitely see the SHE on his right arm.
I see a word ending in OWN on his left forearm, which is not mentioned
in the story.
On Sat 11/04/09 11:37 PM , "Cecilia" [email protected] sent:
Can't believe they didn't mention those tattoos. WTH do those
on his arms say anyway? Cee ----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected] To: gatortalk googlegroups Sent:
Saturday, April 11, 2009 6:25 PM Subject: [gatortalk] Spikes One
of the Scariest Defenders around
April 8, 2009
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[1]
Olin Buchanan
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer
The dreadlocks, Fu Manchu-like mustache, menacing stare and
muscular 6-foot-3, 258-pound frame make Florida All-American
linebacker Brandon Spikes [2] look like a beast. He plays like
one, too.
Brandon Spikes is one of the most dominating defenders in the
country.
"I want to have a presence," Spikes said. "The guys tell me, 'You
look like a beast.' Even in Pop Warner I was trying to intimidate
people. "I'm not going to say names, but there are times after a
few snaps I've looked at [opponents'] faces and could see a look
like, 'I got to go against this guy all day?' I've hit [running]
backs and the look in their eyes tells me they felt me on that
play." Spikes' blend of ability, attitude and appearance gives
him a triple shot of intimidation and combines to make him the
scariest player in college football. "Scariest" can have various
definitions. It could be defined as an active player that offenses
have to account for on every play. It could be a ballhawk who can
steal passes and take them for touchdowns. It might be a bone-jarring
tackler or a hard-charging pass rusher. Spikes fits all those
descriptions. Last season, he had 93 tackles to lead the
national-champion Gators. He had four interceptions, with two
returned for touchdowns. And ask former Georgia running back Knowshon
Moreno [3] - or just check YouTube - for proof of jarring tackles.
"When he gets to the point of attack, he gets there with a bad
attitude," former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. "That's what
you want. You've got to have great instincts, and one thing I
noticed watching him play is he's very instinctive. "He
reminds me a lot of [Baltimore Ravens All-Pro] Ray Lewis. A lot of
times he's out of control. He freelances, but that's what good
linebackers do. He's the heart and soul of that group. I coached
linebackers 19 years and he's about as good as any I've seen."
Spikes is flattered by the comparisons to Lewis, but said he patterns
his game after another player who inspired fear years before Spikes
was born. "I would say I like guys like [Pro Football Hall of
Famer] Dick Butkus. He was relentless and fearless," Spikes said.
"When I was small, I saw an HBO special on him. He was flying
around out there making plays. It was crazy. "I didn't know
anything about playing linebacker then, but I wanted to model my
game after him. He was a beast." Spikes has some beastly
characteristics, too. The dreadlocks that hang out behind his
helmet add to his intimidating persona. Some fans and teammates in
Gainesville call him "Predator" because they say the dreads make
Spikes look similar to the ominous character in the movie "Alien
vs. Predator." "You can look intimidating," Spikes said. "But
you've got to perform." Spikes does both. Scariest
players LB Brandon Spikes [4], Florida: A big hitter who's
equally adept in run and pass defense. He had four interceptions and
six pass breakups last season, and also had 93 tackles. DE
Jerry Hughes [5], TCU: His decision to return for his senior season
was a surprise. Hughes earned recognition by leading the nation with
15 sacks, including four against BYU's senior-dominated line. His
final sack helped preserve a Poinsettia Bowl victory over Boise
State.
Eric Berry is a game-changer.
SS Eric Berry [6], Tennessee: Although he plays defense, Berry was
one of Tennessee's greatest offensive threats last year. He had seven
interceptions for 265 return yards - a record 37.9 yards per return.
His yardage would have made him the Vols' fourth most-productive
receiver. DE Greg Hardy [7], Ole Miss: Foot surgery forced Hardy
to miss four games last season, but he still posted a team-high 8.5
sacks. He had 10 sacks in '07. If he maintains his focus - which
has been a problem - he could lead the SEC in sacks this season.
DE George Selvie [8], USF: His sack total dropped to 5.5 in '08 from
14.5 in '07. Blame constant double-teaming. He's still a fearsome
rusher. No one looks forward to facing him. FS Taylor Mays
[9], USC: Would you want to go over the middle with a 6-3,
230-pound free safety lurking? A two-time All-American, Mays packs a
powerful punch and always seems to be in the right place. LB
Mark Herzlich [10], Boston College: Painting his face with eye black
adds to his intimidating presence, but it's really not needed. The
reigning ACC defensive player of the year, Herzlich made 110
tackles last season, including 81 solo stops. He also led the
nation's linebackers with six interceptions, including two returned
for touchdowns. DT Terrence Cody [11], Alabama: The Crimson Tide
ranked second nationally in rushing defense last season and Cody
was a big reason - literally and figuratively. Cody, a 6-5,
365-pound wall, is the country's premier run-stuffer. He likely
would have been a first-round NFL draft choice, but he opted to
return for his senior season. DE/LB Sergio Kindle [12], Texas:
Once a highly regarded five-star linebacker prospect, Kindle had 10
sacks while spending time at linebacker and defensive end last
season. He had a sack and forced an interception against Oklahoma.
He's expected to get more work at end in '09. DT Gerald McCoy
[13], Oklahoma: He possesses stunning quickness for someone of his
size, which makes him arguably the country's best inside pass
rusher. McCoy is mobile enough to make plays up and down the line of
scrimmage.
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=933189 [14]
Links:
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[1]
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[2] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=65519
[3] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=63839
[4] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=65519
[5] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=69722
[6] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=84861
[7] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=65761
[8] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=52690
[9] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=63628
[10] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=64741
[11] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=402298
[12] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=62930
[13] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=64904
[14] http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=933189
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