Despite Accolades, Amari Spievey Still Hungry (Final Project)

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg calls Amari Spievey the Big Ten’s best corner and “one of the best in the country.”

Athlon Sports calls him “one of the league’s best cover men.”

Lindy’s Sports and Phil Steele both have him in their All Big Ten teams.

The biggest accolade for the junior-to-be from Connecticut comes from the most unlikely of sources, though: defensive coordinator Norm Parker. “Since we’ve been here, I think he can be the best corner we’ve ever had,” said Parker, who’s been calling Iowa’s defensive schemes since 1999.

To say this kind of praise from Parker is unprecedented is an understatement. Since the current staff came to Iowa City in 1999, those who’ve followed Iowa Football know that Parker’s simply mentioning a player’s name in passing is a sign to expect good things. (“Yeah, that Bob Sanders has been doing a few good things for us… Matt Roth might be a guy to watch” etc.) For him to lay nearly a minute’s worth of compliments on a player can only mean that he will be selected to the Pro Bowl in February, the fact that he’s still in college be damned.

“I’m going to quit letting him talk to you guys… He’s tooting Amari’s horn, the defense’s horn. Let’s slow down here,” joked Head Coach Kirk Ferentz regarding Parker’s praise. “He was one of the great stories on our team last year… If he stays hungry, he’s got a chance to be a really good football player,” he continued with a more level tone.

Spievey talked more like his head coach than his coordinator at the end of spring drills. For him, there is still work to do. “I know I’ve still got things to work on. When I’m out there, I just want it to be automatic. I want to be an automatic corner,” Spievey said.

When asked about Parker’s praise, Spievey replied, “I need to improve. I’m never satisfied. I always want to get better and better.”

For opposing offenses, this kind of talk must be intimidating coming from a guy who had 4 interceptions and 6 pass breakups as a sophomore and didn’t even play Division 1 ball as a freshman. Spievey spent the 2007 school year at a community college after failing to make grades his redshirt year at Iowa.”I can’t waste any day. Every day is a priority,” he says regarding the lessons learned away from Iowa City.

Maybe Spievey’s name shouldn’t be etched on to the Thorpe Award – the award given to the nation’s top defensive back – just yet like some writers and maybe even his coordinator think should happen. But if he stays as hungry as he was this spring, it might be a good idea to keep it close.

#19 Amari Spievey (click picture for audio)