Adam Bock has spent the last half decade building himself into a dominating linebacker with his quiet cerebral approach.
Bock, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker grew up in the small town of Solon, Iowa, where sports culture for kids revolved around playing football. He started playing because “everyone did it,” and continued because “I fell in love with the sport.”
Upon his arrival at SDSU, Bock had a lot of uncertainty as to what his role on the team would be. He had a lot of support and help from various teammates but cited former Jackrabbit linebacker Preston Tetzlaff as being the biggest impact during his freshman year.
“Preston gave me the confidence to play at a high level,” Bock, a mechanical engineering major said.
And playing at a high level is exactly what Adam Bock does. He has recorded 69 tackles through 11 games already this season, with 34 of those being solo and 35 being assisted. He has seven tackles for losses totaling 25 yards and two sack for 13 yards. He also has one interception, and one pass defended.
Bock is considered one of the major leaders on and off the field by teammates and coaches. Defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Jesse Bobbit says Bock leads by example with his work ethic and high level of play. But Bobbit said being a more vocal leader is something he and Bock have been working on.
Fellow linebacker Bryce Johnson echoed the sentiment of Bock being a great leader and said he’s a great role model.
Bock acknowledges he’s an effective leader, but he also takes a position of humility and said that there are also a lot of other great leaders on the team.
Bock has taken the responsibility of helping to develop the underclassmen on the team. Coach Bobbit loves this because it “makes my job easier.” Players just watch Adam and can understand how to do everything the right way and to what intensity. Additionally, he has become “the guy” for players to reach out to if they made a mistake in practice or in the game.
Throughout his career at SDSU, Bock has recorded 413 total tackles, with 213 of them being solo and 200 assisted. He has also recorded 32 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, totaling 114 lost yards for opposing offenses. Bock has recorded 12.5 sacks for a loss of 71 yards. Finally, he has 3 interceptions, 9 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and 1 blocked kick.
These statistics, along with his leadership qualities/capabilities force opposing teams’ offenses to shift gameplans to try to attack him and the rest of the Jackrabbit defense at a high level. But, not only does Bock play at a high level, but he also helps his teammates do the same by lining up the rest of the defense in their proper places on a consistent basis.
Bock makes the rushing game especially difficult for teams because of not only his defensive knowledge and vision but also his ability to remain in the box and force runners outside as well as run sideline-to-sideline.
“Adam’s a big playmaker,” Bobbit said. “He rarely misses tackles.”
Bock wants to continue playing football at a high level – he hopes to make the NFL after he graduates from SDSU.
While it will be a difficult transition if he is to make it to that level, Johnson said he thinks it will come to Bock naturally with his level of professionalism and consistency.
Bobbit also thinks he will be able to make that transition if he trusts in himself and lets loose. The transition will also be made easier by making plays and developing his skillset even further.
Bock and The Jackrabbits will travel down to Springfield, Missouri for a matchup with the Bears of Missouri State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+ and listened to on the Jackrabbit Sports Network.
