Coach V proud as a parent for students to go to next level
Adams is surrounded by family and Coach V as he inks with Southern Miss
Flomaton head football coach Doug Vickery and his wife Leah have four children but in his 33 years of coaching football Coach V has hundreds of 'children' and grins like a proud father when those young men excel on and off the football field.
From doctors and engineers to those who continue their football careers after high school, Coach V acts as a proud parent when his students move on to bigger and better things. His office inside the field house at the high school is littered with newspaper clippings, game jerseys, helmets and other memorabilia showcasing his former students.
He added another one this past Saturday when FHS senior Miles Adams signed a scholarship to play football at Southern Mississippi University. He said it's more than X's and O's and more about molding young men to be successful in life.
Adams, a 6 foot, 5 inch, 270 pound defensive lineman for the Hurricanes this past season, will now take his talents to Hattiesburg. Adams was recently honored by the Alabama Sportswriters Association as an honorable mention selection to the state's 3A all star team.
"I'm extremely proud he's going to get his education paid for," Vickery said of Adams. "He's going there to play football but the main thing is getting his college education."
In addition to preparing his Hurricane team for Friday nights, Vickery also spends time finding opportunities for his players after high school.
"If you're a good player, they will find you," Vickery said.
He takes his players to camps to get exposure, creates film highlights and keeps a check on his players' grades.
"They want to see all the plays and they want to see what they do when things go well and what they do when things go bad," Vickery said.
He said they already know how big or fast someone is, but they look at other things as well, including discipline.
He said Adams received inquiries from the likes of LSU, Troy, South Alabama and Southern Miss.
"When they come asking, they already know about him," Vickey said.
He noted Scott Cochran from Georgia came last summer to evaluate Adams.
He said the Flomaton coaches do what they can to put players in a position to move to the next level but it boils down to the individuals making a decision to do what's best for them.
"Some coaches look only at talent and others look for potential," Vickery said. "But it is rewarding when you see all that hard work pay off in the end."
