Suddenly Deacons, Wolfpack, Heels, Pirates and Dawgs are noticing Spain

Sometimes you just have to take one for the team.

So it was with Greensboro Page’s John Spain. Two years ago he was a sophomore, just made for playing linebacker, all size and speed and instincts.

“But we just didn’t have enough talent on our O-line, so he just had to play there,” said Page coach Kevin Gillespie this afternoon. “He started 12 games at tackle for us.”

Finally, as a junior, Spain was moved to LB. There, he led the team in tackles with 138 and was an all-conference selection.

Schools finally started noticing him, but because of that unobserved sophomore year, he was far down many recruiting boards.

Air Force and Liberty offered quickly.

And now Spain is an impressive 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, combined with 4.5-second speed in the 40, according to Gillespie.

“Now the bigger schools, Duke, Wake, North Carolina, ECU, Georgia, are wanting film on him," Gillespie said.

Spain, who is athletic enough to start at forward for the basketball team, is “smart, hard working and has a great attitude,” according to Gillespie.

That was obvious two years ago, when he took one for the team.

--Stan Olson