Limited to special teams and the scout team for three seasons, Antioch’s Odin Dams could have concluded the same would be in store for him as a senior.
But that’s not what Dams had envisioned for himself all along, and he did something about it.
“There were times that it upset me that I wasn’t one of the main guys out there,” he said. “I tried to stay dedicated to it and always thought that if I put in my best effort, I’d eventually get there.”
Indeed, Dams has been a defensive starter since practice began in the preseason, and the 6-foot-2, 195-pound lineman has played at an extremely high level in what may be the playoff-bound Sequoits’ most effective position group.
Dams has also shown versatility. Earlier in the season, he played more at defensive end, but recently he has settled in as the nose tackle. One of the reasons for Dams’ success there is the fact that he isn’t looking for accolades.
“I’m down there doing bear crawls, and I’ve been sat on by multiple 300-pound guys,” he said. “But I’m happy to give myself up for the betterment of the team.”
Winning teams need unselfish, productive players like Dams, who has 24 tackles, including five for loss. In the coaching staff’s film evaluations, he has graded above 90% in each of the past three games for the fifth-seeded Sequoits (7-2), who are preparing for a Class 6A first-round game at home against 12th-seeded Glenbard South (6-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“He’s really hard to block, and he plays with great technique,” Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said. “He’ll play anywhere on the line, and he’s relentless every day and wants to get better.”
Many players who ascend as seniors can trace their progress to the previous offseason. Dams certainly made up a lot of ground during that period, but he got a head start last season.
“Leading into the playoffs last year, he was playing scout team against our starting offense, and all of a sudden we noticed that he was the hardest guy to block,” Glashagel said.
Dams then got stronger during the offseason. He gained 25 pounds of muscle.
“I ran into him at a local Dairy Queen, and I said, ‘Boy, you’ve been working hard,’” Antioch linebackers coach Thor Swanson said. “I hardly recognized him.
“He’s a typical Antioch kid — a hard-nosed guy who will do anything to get onto the field. He’s easily one of our most improved players. If we had a team made up of a bunch of Odin Dams, we’d be going 9-0 every year.”
Dams discovered a big change on the field in the preseason.
“In football, I’ve always been one of the smaller guys, and I didn’t want to be pushed around anymore,” he said. “Now I’m the one doing the pushing, and it definitely showed in the summer.
“I love the physicality of playing nose guard, and I like the adrenaline that comes along with hitting someone on every play.”
Being part of a winning team means even more to Dams. The Sequoits have averaged more than eight wins in the nine full seasons since they missed the playoffs in 2015 and haven’t had a losing season since 2012.
“I remember watching older people play in the stadium that I’m playing at now,” Dams said. “Everything looked so big, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of that.”
That certainly motivated Dams as he approached this season.
“I’ve played football for 12 years, and I felt like those 12 years would be a waste if I hadn’t made something great of my last year,” he said.
So Dams doesn’t take this season for granted.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given,” he said. “When times get rough, the only one who can help you is yourself. I totally focused on finding any way to better myself and prove to people that I belong.
“Perseverance and determination — I’ve always tried to go by that.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
