Anchor of Atholtons line becoming force in Howard County

In any major team sport respect is first earned in practice. This is especially true in football. That's when coaches test a player's mettle.

Coaches run their troops ragged, chew them out like army drill sergeants, push them to their physical limit.

Those that survive are rewarded with playing time. Those that fail take a seat on the bench.

For a lineman, they earn their respect by dominating a drill that began in Norman, Okla., during the 1940s under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson. Today, that drill is known simply as Oklahoma.

What exactly is an Oklahoma?

Many things. It's desire versus desire; it's power versus power; it's beef versus beef.

Two linemen -- one on defense, one on offense -- line up inches apart and dig their fists into the dirt. At the whistle, they lurch forward and collide like two dueling monster trucks. The drill lasts only seconds, but that's all it takes for one unstoppable force to knock another clear off the ball.

The winner is regaled with superlatives like "tough," "nasty" and "animal." The loser takes a shot to his pride, not to mention his starting job.

Adam Brown, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound offensive tackle for Atholton High, doesn't lose Oklahoma drills.

"He's great at one-on-ones and coming off the football," said Atholton coach Kyle Schmitt. "That's not something you can teach. You can teach guys to pull, you can teach guys to pass block, but you can't teach guys to line up in an Oklahoma drill and beat the defender man-on-man. That's where he excels. He has that raw physical ability."

It's a notion Brown doesn't dispute. Winning Oklahoma drills is a point of pride for one of the best linemen in Howard County.

"It's a passion of mine and something I work on constantly," Brown said. "To win those drills, you have to want it more than anyone else. And I want it more than the guy lining up across from me. So I've become very good at it … and it's actually pretty easy for me now."

Brown might be the first football player to call an Oklahoma drill "easy." But it showed in his play last year. As a right tackle Brown routinely sealed the edge for a 10-2 Atholton team that averaged over 150 yards per game on the ground.

"He was big for us," Schmitt said. "We ran a lot power-right on a play called 46 power. Adam got down in his 3-technique, took on a double team and busted it up. He was huge in opening holes for us."

Some of his best work came against Wilde Lake in the first round of the playoffs. Atholton rushed for over 200 yards in the 14-13 victory, and most of the Raiders' longest runs went over top Brown.

"I remember there was a play in that game where I took a guy like 10 yards back and pancaked him," Brown said. "Hitting people is my job and I do it well."

Brown excels at the line of scrimmage, but he isn't just some wide-bodied slug. He can move, too.

With quarterback Kalvin Seamonson, Atholton passed the ball more than usual for a Maryland high school team. One of their bread-and-butter plays was the screen pass. In order for screens to work, an offensive lineman must be able to operate out in space, taking on linebackers as well as defensive ends.

"He showed really good agility last year," Schmitt said. "On those screen plays he showed off his footwork a little bit."

"When I look back at my tapes from last year the first thing I notice is how well I blocked out in space," Brown said. "I do move pretty well. I do cardio work every day and I run tack, which helps."

Brown had a solid season against most of the Howard County competition, but the truly elite linemen can beat the big boys. And in Howard County, the big boys are River Hill. Last year the perennial power boasted two of the best defensive ends in the county, Thomas Erdman and Nick Bonhag. They gave Brown fits both times he competed against them.

"The defensive ends for River Hill were excellent and that's when Adam saw what he had to do to take his game up a notch," Schmitt said. "I thought Adam held his own, but those guys were pretty good and got by him a few times. Hopefully Adam can learn from that."

Brown called the River Hill games "humbling." He realized strength alone wasn't enough to beat athletic, hungry and powerful defensive ends.

"I have to use strategy and be more technical to block guys like that," Brown said. "I can't just push everyone around."

That's not all he needs to work on. Schmitt said Brown still has a few physical holes in his game, too.

"He needs to be better with lateral movement and he needs to fine-tune his footwork, his drop step and his pass protection," the coach said. "He's a young lineman and it takes a while to mold these guys. But Adam's willing to learn and he's receptive."

If Brown hones his game, he has a chance to land a Division I-AA scholarship. Schmitt has received film requests from several upper-level college coaches who are intrigued by Brown's size and athleticism. A few schools have even invited him to camps so they can get a better look at him.

Maybe they'll have him do an Oklahoma drill. If so, an offer can't be far off.

"I'm ready for whatever they throw at me," Brown said. "My main aspiration is to play in college, and I'll do what it takes to get there."