Lincoln High School head football coach Robert Hampton likes to use his wide and diverse love for music when describing his football players.
Recently, he used a different analogy when he compared his standout running back of a year ago, two-time Hudson Reporter All-Area honoree Tyron Stevens, and his cousin, Teddy Spann, who is currently a senior member of the Lions.
“Ty was like a heavy metal band,” Hampton said. “He was like Metallica. Spann is more classical. He’s Mozart. He’s calm and composed.”
Spann has also done a little bit of everything this season for the Lions, filling the shoes left by the graduation of his two former All-Area cousins, namely Stevens and Ronald Butler.
“He’s run the ball for us and caught it,” Hampton said. “He’s scored seven touchdowns rushing, one receiving and one by an interception.”
Spann knew that he needed to be more of a leader this year since his cousins had left.
“I knew that they would want me to be better than the both of them,” Spann said. “It’s real different playing without them, but I knew I had to adjust to it and be more of a leader.”
“He’s the ultimate emotional leader of the team,” Hampton said of Spann. “He’s the intellectual leader of the team as well. A lot of people don’t know how physically strong he is, because of his size (5-foot-7, 165 pounds). But he can do some damage.”
Hampton likes what Spann provides.
“He’s a calming influence, like having a warm blanket in the winter,” Hampton said. “We’ve had a lot of tremendous leaders over the years, but this kid is special. He’s well respected in the building and in the locker room.”
Last weekend, the Lions faced a critical game against Jersey City rival Snyder. A loss would have ended all hope of the Lions making a city-record fourth straight appearance in the NJSIAA state playoffs. They needed a win and Spann was ready to impose his will on the rest of the team to win.
“He really wanted to focus on beating Snyder,” Hampton said. “He wanted to make sure his teammates were on the same page with him. He never says much, but he said something before this game. He wasn’t going to give a speech filled with a lot of curse words. But he was going to send a message.”
“I kind of had to come out of character a little this time,” Spann said. “I’m not used to yelling at my teammates. But I wanted them to know how much I wanted to continue the legacy that we have at Lincoln. I wanted to help the team any way I could and put the team in position to win.”
Spann did exactly that. He did a little bit of everything, like he has all season, guiding the Lions to a big 30-6 victory and keep alive the hopes of a berth in the upcoming NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group II playoffs.
Spann rushed for 115 yards on 14 carries, scored on a 53-yard run, scored two two-point PAT conversions, caught four passes, and made seven tackles on defense, keying the Lions’ victory in the snow at Caven Point Cochrane Field last Saturday.
For his efforts, Spann has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
“He knew he was going to get the ball and he did,” Hampton said. “The team definitely relies on him.”
Spann doesn’t mind being the Lions’ resident jack-of-all-trades.
“I like being moved around a lot,” Spann said. “I don’t even know what position I’m going to play. I just go wherever they ask me to go and that’s fine.”
“It’s all part of his work ethic,” Hampton said. “I don’t have to tell that kid to work hard. I don’t have to remind him about weight training in January. He’s there. Anything we ask of him, he’s going to do it. He’s a special kid and he’s going to be missed. When he leaves, there won’t be a dry eye among the coaching staff.”
Spann believes that his future is as a defensive back.
“I think that’s my primary position,” he said.
And Spann does have a bright future, considering he’s currently ranked fifth in the Lincoln High School Class of 2012. Spann has a class average of 91 and attained a score of 1,100 on his Scholastic Aptitude Test. It’s a fine achievement in the classroom for a student from a school that has received nothing but negative notoriety over the years.
“No one can say that Lincoln is a bad school,” Spann said. “It depends on what you can do with what you’re taught and how you do it. It’s up to you. No matter what sport I play [Spann also runs track in the spring], I put my grades first. It’s a pretty good feeling to know that I can do something special in the classroom.”
Spann is being looked at by such prestigious schools like Franklin & Marshall, Bucknell, Lehigh, Davidson, and Georgetown. Yes, a kid from Lincoln is being considered by those high-class academic institutions. Spann is certainly breaking down the barriers as well as a negative reputation.
“We’re putting together a package for the colleges now, and once they see his grades, he’ll be all right,” said Hampton, who went from Lincoln to Boston University in his heyday.
“It’s a good feeling to know these schools are interested,” Spann said. “They know that I can do it in school and on the field.”
Spann has never once let his size become a deterrent.
“I feel that everyone has a chance to play football,” Spann said. “I come into every game feeling like I’m the underdog and that have to do something special because of my size. It never stops me trying to prove a lot of people wrong.”
“They all look up to him,” Hampton said. “They all want to be like him.”
In the classroom…on the field…Teddy Spann is certainly getting the job done, overcoming the odds.
“I just know I have something to do when my team needs me,” Spann said.
Just like they needed him last weekend. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.