Daily photo by Jonathan Palmer Speake's Zach Vick

Nose to nose with . . .
Speake's Zach Vick

Speake High senior Zach Vick has been a starter for the Bobcats since his freshman year, and the 5-foot-10, 145-pound wide receiver/defensive back has been proving his worth ever since.

Coach Heath Grimes recently awarded Vick with the Bobcat Award, which is presented to a select group of players for outstanding achievement in the weight room and other conditioning activities.

Vick took a few minutes before practice this week for 10 questions with Daily Sports Writer Brooke Milam:

Question: Is it more exciting to make a big catch on offense or intercept a pass on defense?

Answer: It's kind of hard to explain, but either one is fun.

It's just a blast to catch one, I guess. (Vick said his 67-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final seconds, giving Speake a 28-20 win over R.A. Hubbard last week, was his first game-winning interception.)

Q: Speake has had several big wins since you have been playing, including a first-ever win over Hazlewood last year and R.A. Hubbard last
week.

What has been your most exciting as a Bobcat?

A: Definitely last week against Hubbard, without a doubt. It's kind of cool to be a part of the team that beat Hazlewood and Hubbard for the first time in so many years.

Q: You have been selected to The Daily's all-area team in football and baseball, and you finished third in the state in the 400-meter run
in the spring. Is there a sport that you are not good at?

A: Basketball. I don't do basketball. I played my seventh- and eighth-grade years, but I decided to concentrate more on baseball and give up basketball.

Q: You moved to Speake from the Nashville area in 1998. What is one memory you have of growing up in Tennessee?

A: Probably the flood when I was about 8 years old. There were a bunch of thunderstorms, and we lived on a hill, so we basically had a moat around our house.

Q: What would you say is Speake's team motto?

A: Character. It started a lot over the summer and Coach Grimes has been preaching it to us ever since. Every day before practice we come out and have a character lesson.

Q: Who is someone in your life that you respect?

A: It's hard to narrow it down to just one person. I try to respect everyone. One person I respect would be Coach Grimes. He's always respected me on the football field, and he's a coach and deserves respect.

Q: If you had a super power on the field, what would you want it to be?

A: Fly. I'd get there faster, I guess. It would help a lot on defense.

Q: If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?

A: I guess my size. I wish I could be a little bigger.

Q: Who makes you laugh more than anybody else?

A: Corey Taylor (senior middle linebacker/tackle). He's just crazy. He's always up to something.

Q: You have worked on your speed and run the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. What has made you strive to improve your speed?

A: The coach for Talladega County-Central after we lost to them in the playoffs last year saying that I had great hands but no speed.

That was kind of a slap in the face, so I said, "I'll try to improve that."

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