BROOKINGS — Middle linebacker is one of the most important positions in football. Many call it the quarterback of the defense and it is normally played by a player that is always a true leader on that side of the ball. For South Dakota State, that statement could not be any more true.

Adam Bock decided to come back to SDSU for his sixth season and was named one of the six team captains last week for a fourth time in his career. Bock has been a focal point of the Jackrabbit defense over the past four seasons, but heading into the 2024 season coaches and players alike believe he’s grown the most as a leader.

“His growth has come with being more vocal,” said SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers. “Adam is a rep guy and is a comfort guy. I don’t mean comfort as in he can’t go through hardship, but as in he’s a leader by his work ethic and how he goes about his day-to-day and I’ve seen him bring people with him in the last two years.”

Bock has always led by example on the field as he led the team in tackles in both the spring and fall season in 2021. He comes into 2024 as the only returning starter at linebacker and decided during spring practice that he would need to be more vocal this season as the Jacks were going to be replacing a lot of talent on defense.

“[Being more vocal] has always been kind of a thing and I worked on it quite a bit in the spring,” Bock said. “As a sixth-year guy, you have to be that guy to lead people verbally, just being through it so many times. You have to pick people up when things aren’t going the right way.”

For Rogers, this was something he loved to see as he has been hoping that part of Bock’s game would come around as he continued to develop.

“I’ve talked about [being a vocal leader] for years with him because a leader who just leads by actions is just bought in,” Rogers said. “Who is he really leading? That’s just being an all-in guy, but to take people with you is true leadership. He’s done a great job of mentoring the youth of the linebacker group.

“He’s always been great at doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s like a 4.0 student and he really takes pride in his performance and everything he’s done in his life. He’s a one percent human being and we’re blessed to have him.”

After a stellar first two seasons on the field at SDSU, Bock had injuries keep him off the field for portions of the the next two seasons. In 2022 he looked poised to repeat as a First Team FCS All-American and a Buck Buchanan Award Finalist before he injured his foot eight games into the season and missed four weeks.

He played the final four games of the 2022 season and helped lead the Jacks to their first National Championship. Heading into last season he was ready to hit the ground running before he hurt his foot again in fall camp. He then missed the first three games of the season and two more after returning for one game.
Bock was strong as ever during SDSU’s second straight title run, but as he heads into his final year of college football, Bock has one thing on his mind.

“I’m really excited. I’m feeling the best I ever had. It’s obviously been disappointing the past two years. I came back to do one thing; have a full year,” Bock said.

Last season Bock had the likes of seniors Jason Freeman, Isaiah Stalbird and Savieon Williamson around him. Heading into 2024 he’ll have three seniors next to him again in Caleb Francl, Graham Spalding and Daeton Mcgaughy, but those guys have seven combined starts. Francl said Bock has been a great example for the rest of the linebackers and he cherishes what he has done for the others in his time at SDSU.

“He means the world to everyone [in the linebacker room]. He leads by example and just shows us how things are supposed to be done. Every time he steps on the field he sets the tone. You know what you’re going to get out of him every time and he has that kind of consistency,” Francl said.

One of the closest teammates with Bock is Spalding, who was in the same recruiting class as him in 2019. The two redshirted together their freshman season and Spalding will finally get the chance to be a full-time starter alongside Bock this season.

“He’s been one of my best friends,” Spalding said. “We came in together and we shared this process together. He makes things easy and he helps me both on the field and off the field,” Spalding said.

Spalding and Bock’s relationship is an example of what Bock thinks makes not only SDSU special, but the Jackrabbit linebacker brotherhood special. When he looks back from his first season until now, a lot of things have happened, but one thing has stayed the same.

“There’s a lot of things that have changed [since I came to SDSU]. … The one main constant thing is the family. That’s been one thing that has been constant since I’ve been here. There’s other things that have changed. Different coaches, different players, but the family aspect of this program is the one thing that has stayed the same,” Bock said.