Adaris Bellamy has emerged in Youngstown.  Anyone who watched Youngstown State’s 31-7 victory over Butler caught a glimpse of a bright future for the running game.  Bellamy, a freshman, was a part of that excitement and showed a small portion of his capabilities on a 25-yard touchdown scamper that put an exclamation point on the win for the Penguins.  Bellamy is fun to talk with, a good interview, and if he plays his cards right, the future of Youngstown State Football.  The Heisman pose (above) may be a bit premature, but the upside of this kid is through the roof.  He shows a killer spin move, but says that comes from instinct, not practice, it looks unrehearsed and more a reflection of his natural ability.

Paneech: You had a deal worked out to play in Florida.  How do you end up in Youngstown, Ohio?

Bellamy: I had an agreement with South Florida that if I went to a prep school and became eligible, I would play there.  Coach Leavitt got fired and they brought in Skip Holtz.  Coach Holtz did not honor my scholarship agreement.  I came here [Youngstown State] on a visit that my little cousin, who was already committed, set up with Coach Wolford. I liked it and ended up signing.  My teammates are like brothers to me and I love the family environment.  I know there are bigger programs I could go to out there, but I couldn’t ask for more.

Paneech: Are you looking forward to November when you could get used to some snow?

Bellamy: (laughing)  No!  Not at all! I wish we could stay in August and September forever.  Not looking forward to the white stuff at all.

Paneech: What was it like to play against a team like Penn State in Happy Valley?

Bellamy: It was major.  For that to be my first college game and to get to play in front of 100,000 plus was an amazing feeling.  I still can’t believe it to this day.  To play as well as we did in the first half, we basically set a target on our back.  As long as we play like that all through the season, we are going to be something very special.

Paneech: Coach Wolford is very intense.  How will he manage keeping you guys calm when there is a bullseye on your backs?

Bellamy: As long as we play more like we did in the first half and not the second half, there isn’t a team in our conference that we should not beat. We have to keep it in our mind to come out and play at our intensity level and not the level of the other team.

Paneech: What NFL running back would you say you resemble on the field?

Bellamy: Either Clinton Portis or Frank Gore. Portis is a power back that can be shifty, which are a couple of the qualities that I have.  Gore can be a power back and can also break tackles, but he can do whatever the coach asks of him.

Paneech: Walk me through the typical day, start to finish.

Bellamy: I wake up off of instinct, I have never owned an alarm.  I get up and brush my teeth and head down for the morning workout.  After that, I take a shower and head off to breakfast check.  I then go to my nine and ten o’clock classes.  My third class is from 11:00 to 11:50 and when it ends I have an hour break to go eat some lunch.  After lunch I head back to the stadium for study table from 1:00 to 1:50.  Our team meetings start at 2:15 and we are usually in there for about 50 minutes then we have to be on the field for practice at 3:10.  Practice runs until like 5:00, 5:05.  We get dismissed, head to shower it up then go to the training table to eat.  After that, I go home to finish whatever homework I didn’t finish at study table, and after that I’m in the bed for the rest of the night.

Paneech: With Southern Illinois looming in the distance, do you guys watch them as the conference favorite or do you only worry about them come game week?

Bellamy: It is something we will worry about when the time comes.  We need to worry about who we have each week and concentrate on winning that game.  We can’t play this week if we worry about Southern Illinois.

One Word Answers

Song People Would Be Shocked To Know You Like: Party In The USA, Miley Cyrus.

Next Favorite Sport: There isn’t one.

Cartoon Character You Would Be: Bugs Bunny.

Best Fast Food: Taco Bell.

What Would You Order In An Omelet: Ham and Cheese.

Biggest Phobia: (long pause) ugh… I don’t even know.

Favorite Drink: Sunkist Orange.

Favorite Animal At The Zoo: Lion.

Worst Habit: I twitch a lot.