A lot of the skills involved in throwing a shotput translate very well to playing defensive end, says Northwestern incoming freshman DE Adetomiwa Adebawore.
And Adebawore should know. He threw the shot further than anyone in Missouri this year, winning the 5A state championship last month with a throw of 62-feet and 7-3/4 inches for North Kansas City High School.
It takes "balance and footwork" to throw the shot, said Adebawore. "It's about understanding your body and how your body moves."
Adebawore has to use specific techniques to generate as much power as possible in a small space to throw the shot put effectively. That certainly comes in handy on the line of scrimmage, where he will try to do the same thing against opposing offensive linemen in the Big Ten.
And ideally, both endeavors end with Adebawore throwing something, whether it's a 12-pound shot or a quarterback.
Adebawore's throw in the state meet shattered the previous record by about a foot and a half. But more than the gold medal, Adebawore is proud of what his state title represents: the payoff for a lot of hours spent perfecting his craft.
"It feels good because I worked really hard," said Adebawore.
Adebawore didn't only win the state championship; he did it using a new and radically different technique that required him to relearn how to throw the shot. It's akin to a pitcher completely changing his delivery -- and then winning the Cy Young Award anyway.
As Adebawore explained, he had been a "glider", a thrower who pushed off his back leg to slide across the throwing circle. This year, he used a "full spin technique" that required his body to complete one and a half revolutions before releasing the throw.
"It's really hard," he said. "I watched a lot of film and had to trust my coaches."
Adebawore said he experienced a lot of ups and downs during the season as he experimented with his new technique, but by the time the Missouri state meet rolled around on May 25, he was a well-oiled machine and won the event by almost four feet. He also placed second in the discus to wrap up an eventful day.
Last fall, Adebawore was named first-team all-state and the All-Suburban White League defensive player of the year after recording double-digit sacks, more than 20 TFL and more than 70 tackles. But ask him what he's most proud of and he talks about helping to lead North Kansas City to a 9-2 record, the school's best mark in 60 years.
Adebawore is happy about the way he wrapped up his high school career, both in football and track-and-field. But he's not dwelling on the past; he has his eyes set on his future at Northwestern. He will arrive on campus with the rest of his Class of 2019 teammates on June 23.
"I'm more excited than I am nervous," said Adebawore, who committed to Northwestern last April. "I'm not as nervous as I thought I'd be. High school took a long time; it wasn't something that flew by to me... I've never really been anywhere outside of Kansas City, so I'm excited."
Adebawore, who isn't sure what he's going to major in at Northwestern, will take an English class and an anthropology class this summer. He is going to room next fall with offensive line classmate Conrad Rowley, who hails from Blue Springs, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City.
Like most incoming freshmen, Adebawore thinks he has to improve his conditioning and strength to play in the Big Ten. He's already increased his size: he played at "around 245" pounds last season but says he is up to 257 now.
He knows that the Northwestern defensive end depth chart is crowded, so his plan is to come in, work hard and let the coaches decide how much he plays.
Adebawore will be living on his own for the first time when his parents drop him off in Evanston. While he is ready to tackle the experience head on, he knows that his family might not be.
"My Mom is going to be sad for a while, but I will talk to them a lot," he said. "FaceTime is a really nice tool."
