Adrian Tracy is top defensive players in the FCS

Adrian Tracy had made up his mind. Tired of the recruiting runaround, he was headed to Davidson to play some low-key, non-scholarship Football Championship Subdivision ball far outside the national spotlight, in the Pioneer League.

It was his best offer, unless you count the pitch from Division III Catholic University, which told him he could play both football and basketball, a prospect that Tracy found intriguing.

"I was all for it," he said.

But he finally settled on Davidson and was ready to seal the deal when an assistant coach from William and Mary called and invited him for a visit. His mother, Ann, had to persuade him to take the trip.

The rest is literally Tribe football history. At a school known for the 42-35 shootout, Tracy has become that rarest of William and Mary creatures: a defensive headliner.

A 6-foot-4, 243-pound end, Tracy is the most acclaimed Tribe defender since Darren Sharper patrolled the secondary in the mid-1990s. The fifth-year senior was voted the preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association, which is generally regarded as the nation's best FCS conference.

That makes Tracy, one could argue, the top FCS defensive player in the nation. At the very least, he's in the conversation. Ask New Hampshire. In the Tribe's win over the No. 4 Wildcats last year, Tracy made 13 tackles - three for losses - and had two sacks.

Or ask Virginia. In the Tribe's upset victory Sept. 5, Tracy made nine tackles, seven solo.

"Those games stand out to me as games where he single-handedly carried us at times," defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said.

Tracy made eight tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass in the Tribe's win over Central Connecticut State on Saturday. The win pushed the Tribe to No. 5 in the FCS poll heading into Saturday's game at Norfolk State.

It all leads to the question: How did the best player on one of the nation's top FCS teams fly so far under the recruiting radar?

In hindsight, it makes some sense. Tracy played all over the field at Potomac Falls High in Loudon County and was the team's defensive MVP three straight years. But Potomac Falls was a relatively new, relatively out-of-the way school without much history of producing football talent.

Tracy was also on the slender side. An all-district basketball player, he ran track, too. All the running caused his weight to drop to 190 pounds between football seasons.

Maryland and Virginia sent letters but never followed up. Davidson, Princeton, Catholic and Bridgewater recruited him hardest. William and Mary got in late and made no promises, but felt like the best fit.

"I realized going in that a scholarship wasn't available, but the opportunity to earn one was on the table," he said.

Tracy redshirted in 2005 and didn't get the luxury of easing into things in 2006. In his first college game, he lined up opposite Maryland's 6-9, 330-pound Jared Gaither, now with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tracy made five tackles and two weeks later was conference Rookie of the Week after a nine-tackle performance against VMI.

When Shoop arrived in 2007, he had heard about Tracy, but despite his impressive rookie season, not all the talk was positive.

"The knock on him was that he had all the ability in the world but didn't play hard all the time," Shoop said.

Tracy couldn't argue, but there was more to the story. It wasn't that he was willingly taking plays off. It's just that he would get down on himself, he said.

"I'm my own harshest critic, and sometimes, I'm hard on myself and that affects my play," he said.

It did in 2007, a nightmarish year for the Tribe defense, which yielded 38.8 points and 393 yards. Both he and the team bounced back in 2008. The Tribe allowed 24 points and 327 yards per game. Tracy led the CAA in sacks and tackles for loss and was an honorable mention All-American.

As quick an end as there is at the FCS level, Tracy is a speed rusher who loves coming off the edge. To make it to the next level - the NFL - he'll need to prove he can take on pro tight ends and tackles and mix it up on the inside, not just off the perimeter, Shoop said.

No longer accused of giving less than full effort, Tracy is not the only NFL prospect on the Tribe line. Tackle Sean Lissemore will also get a long look.

It's a fast and talented unit, a far cry from the days when the Tribe relied on outscoring teams to win games. Tracy takes satisfaction from being part of the group that is helping to change the culture.

"Coach Shoop was preaching that we had talent on both sides of the ball and it was about time the defense got recognition, but it was only going to come with hard work and dedication," he said. "We took our bumps and bruises, but we didn't back down from the challenge."

Ed Miller, (757) 446-2372, ed.miller@pilotonline.com