Aug. 16, 2011
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Just when Adam Nissley thought that UCF's monumental defeat of the University of Georgia last December in the Liberty Bowl couldn't possibly get any sweeter, it did just that this past summer.
With his brother attending UGA, Nissley - a Cumming, Ga., native - made the trek to Athens for a visit. And naturally he made sure to wear his UCF hat, UCF shirt and UCF shorts to remind the Bulldogs' fans of the 10-6 result a few months earlier.
Whereas few would have batted an eye at the UCF logo previously, this time around Nissley noticed the telling looks from several Georgia students and fans. The recognition of the UCF logo was one of respect instead of anger, and the 6-foot-6, 267-pound senior tight end puffed his chest out with pride. For as long as he lives, Nissley said he'll forever have those bragging rights over Georgia fans and the knowledge that he helped put UCF's football program on the map nationally.
``I haven't stopped smiling since,'' Nissley said of UCF's defeat of the team he grew up rooting for as a kid. ``I was back home for a couple of days before we had to report and my friends still talk about that (Liberty Bowl) game. And now anytime somebody wears a Georgia hat around me, I just say, `OK' and smile. It'll be like that the rest of my life because that was such an awesome game for us.''
Heading into his senior season and easily one of the most respected players on the UCF team, Nissley is hoping the Knights' defeat of Georgia was just the start of a golden age for the football program. UCF won 11 games, captured a Conference USA title and the Liberty Bowl championship and broke into the national rankings for the first time last season. Now, the team is hungry for more and Nissley admitted that there's a belief that UCF could potentially win every game on its schedule and make even more waves on the national scene this season.
``We've proven to a lot of people that we're not a team anyone can take lightly,'' Nissley said. ``We're capable of going out any Saturday and beating whoever we play. We have players with that mentality and with the hard work we're putting in, I think we can achieve the goals that we've set of winning every game and going back to the conference championship.''
If any player is figuratively strong enough to pick up the team and lead it in the right direction, it's the freakishly strong Nissley. He shattered the UCF record for the pro bench press this summer, lifting 225 pounds a whopping 38 times. He bench-pressed 530 pounds, power-cleaned 366 pounds and squatted another 560 pounds to become the team's all-around strongest player over the summer.
``I wouldn't say he's off the charts, but Adam's pretty close because he's so powerful,'' said Ed Ellis, UCF's Director of Strength and Conditioning.
Nissley's rare combination of size (6-6, 267), speed (4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and power should make him a candidate to play in the NFL after his UCF playing days are over. He's compared his numbers to other tight ends participating in recent NFL combines, and he's fared quite favorably. Especially when it comes to his strength, which he considers a huge plus when he's used as a blocker along the UCF front line.
``That's a tremendous asset to have because it's somewhere that I have the advantage in,'' Nissley said. ``I've worked hard on it all summer to try to get stronger to have that advantage. I don't want my opponent to ever have an edge on me, so I've worked really hard to get stronger and transfer it over to the field.''
Nissley caught just six passes last season, including his first collegiate touchdown grab against Rice, but that number figures to rise this season with quarterback Jeff Godfrey looking for him more. Because UCF's wide receiving corps are somewhat smallish across the board, Nissley's height and strength could help him become a bigger target, especially down near the goal line.
Nissley said when he thinks back to last season the defeat of the Bulldogs in the Liberty Bowl will always be his favorite memory. But he also looks back on last season longingly, knowing that the 2010 senior class got to finish up on a dream note. He wants to desperately this season, and in addition to being one of UCF's most dominant blockers, he's become an outspoken leader who has mentored others. It's all being done, he said, so that UCF continue its push for bigger and better things this season.
``Beating Georgia was an amazing feeling. I won't say it's one of those in-your-face things, but I can just go to my friends who were wearing Georgia stuff and I'll have this on them for the rest of my life,'' Nissley said. ``We all see what a great way that it was last year for the seniors to go out with an amazing season and that's what we want now. That's what every senior wants - to have one of the best seasons ever for UCF. That's what every senior on this team wants now and we're determined to make it happen.''
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.