Getting to Know Second Round Pick Adam Gotsis
By Steven Kriz
Some history about the Denver Broncos second round selection Adam Gotsis, and his Australian background…
Meet the new defensive tackle for your Denver Broncos, Adam Gotsis, the Georgia Tech product, but more importantly, the Broncos own Thunder from Down Under. His measurables are undeniable; at 6’4″, 287 lbs, with incredibly long arms and 4.9 speed, he would seem to be a perfect fit in this defense, or any defense for that matter. But what is more intriguing about Gotsis, and probably a big reason as to why he was a highly overlooked defensive lineman in this draft, is his background in football. His path to being a second round pick for the Broncos is far different than most.
Did you know that in Australia, the name for American Football is Gridiron? Well Australia is where Adam Gotsis is from, and his story is very unique. In a recent interview with Denver’s 104.3 The Fan, Gotsis explained a bit about how he got here. “So basically I found a flyer for American football, my mom found one on the internet, we were just googling local rugby clubs because I wanted to play some rugby outside of school, and found this gridiron club, and went down there and it was like an open-age type of club, and my brother and I actually played on the same team and he’s 4 years older than me so I’m going against 19-year old’s as a 15-year old.”
Adam did also play some Australian rules football, but his experience of “Gridiron” football came in a recreation league consisting of guys 15-19 years old. It’s a very different football upbringing than what most American’s would experience while growing up . Once he got a little bit older, Gotsis actually joined an older age league, and when asked about being 6’4″, 280 lbs playing in a rec league, he responded “I was that big as a 17-year old, but then I was also playing against 30-year old men that were big as
well, because then I played in the older age group it was 19 and above.” “I wore a bike helmet if that says anything”, was his response when asked about the type of equipment they had. To put that into context, he meant the old “Bike” brand of football helmets, not an actual bicycle helmet, however, given his background I don’t think anyone would have been surprised if they were out there running around in bicycle helmets. It is rare that someone who played that little would end up playing in the NFL. With the level of competition, and type of league he grew up playing in doesn’t exactly scream NFL, or even division I college football for that matter. But in a Field of Dreams type metaphor, if you can play, they will find you.
So how did Gotsis manage to find his way to Georgia Tech? It wasn’t like these recreation league football games were taped, or scouted by college scouts. “All my film was my mum standing there with a tripod filming it and then me going home and making cut-ups.” Clearly teams didn’t have a lot to go on, but there are always people watching. When Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson was an assistant for the University of Hawaii, he would go to Australia consistently to scout Aussie rules players, and rugby players as potential punters. Johnson kept his contacts in Australia, and was eventually contacted by Paul Manera, an aussie who coached the Gridiron National team, and actually played for the University of Hawaii when Johnson was a coordinator in the 80’s. Manera told Johnson that he had a really big kid, that moved really well, and was extremely athletic, so Johnson decided to reach out to him. He watched a few of the cut-ups, and decided to offer Gotsis a scholarship.
At Georgia Tech, Adam was a very raw player, but really won over the coaches who had initially intended to redshirt him. His naturally ability would allow them to be able to do that. In a 2013 USA Today article, written by Dan Wolken, current San Diego Chargers, and former Georgia Tech linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu was quoted as saying “He was dominating our offensive line (in practice). Things it takes guys longer to learn like leverage on the
defensive line, he already had that coming in. He plays so low, and his legs are so powerful, it’s difficult for him to be moved. And he’s pretty quick, too.” His freshman year, he ended up playing in 12 games, and even started one, and recorded a sack. His senior year, he recorded 31 tackles, and 3 sacks before tearing his ACL in early November.
The tape shows a guy that can naturally move defenders out of his way in a reckless pursuit to the ball. With the way he moves, and the motor he displays, it reminds me of yet another Derek Wolfe. Wolfe is fantastic in the run game, and can also get after the quarterback, and is vital in the Broncos defensive success.
Gotsis will take time, there is no doubt about it. For a guy that has been playing truly organized football for only four years, he is very far ahead of where you might expect, but still has learning to do. If he can continue to grow, and be coached up properly by Bill Kolar, and the other veterans such as Wolfe himeself, he could anchor one of the 3-4 end positions for years to come, opposite of Wolfe. This is an exciting thought to have, and this is why John Elway targeted this guy, and had him pegged as his second round selection. Some have called this pick a reach, but as Sayre Bedinger wrote the other day
, this pick wasn’t a reach by people who have truly studied the film, and understand the type of player that he can become. It may take a few years for him to reach his true potential, as it did with Malik Jackson, and Derek Wolfe, but this pick could end up being another Elway touchdown. As Gotsis told The Fan, “I can be a guy in here that can come in, play, and help what we already have, and make us better.” In the end, that is all you can ask. Gotsis will make a fine Denver Bronco, and the fans should be ecstatic with this pick.