The Grind, presented by the Bank of Clarendon: Sumter High's Addison putting in the work as Gamecocks' latest star up front

During the last half decade, the Sumter High football program has been known for producing stars on the defensive side of the football, especially in the trenches.

Justus Boone is currently starring at Florida, working his way back from an injury he suffered last preseason. Davin Jackson has battled injuries of his own but still made the leap to Division I football at North Carolina State. Just before that group, Eric Watts was starring at Sumter High before making his way to UConn. He signed with the New York Jets this offseason as an undrafted free agent.

The lineage continues with rising senior Anthony Addison, a South Carolina commit who continues to make a name for himself that can match the heights of those who went before him. He's not resting on his laurels, either. Anthony relentlessly works to improve his game, and he won't stop until he's the best defensive lineman out there.

"It just really opened my eyes more to see that those guys played on that same field, and now they were at Florida, South Carolina, Tylee (Craft is) at North Carolina, and now Eric is in NFL," Anthony said. "It just kind of showed me if they can do it, I can do the same thing. I've just got to put in the work to do it."

THE GAMECOCK DIFFERENCE

Anthony grew up in Bishopville on the constant search for high-level football. He played recreational football in Lamar and Florence before playing middle school ball in Timmonsville at Johnson Middle School. His mother, Tonya, was a principal in Florence 4, which was in the process of shutting down as Anthony approached high school. Suddenly, a door opened up. The Addisons were going to be able to hand-pick Anthony's next school, and they had one goal in mind.

"I was looking to transition to a place that would be beneficial to my kids," Tonya said. "Anthony has always done well with football from rec to middle school, so our conversation in our house was, 'Anthony, if you could go to a 5A school and perform at that level, then we know that the accolades are true.'

"I think Anthony always knew he wanted to play at the college level, and he knew his talent. He knew what he could do on the field; it was all about getting an opportunity."

They landed at Sumter High, a program with a history of success at the SCHSL 5A level. The Addisons weren't as familiar with the line of stardom on the defensive front, but they knew Anthony was going to have to work hard to succeed. More importantly, Anthony would learn what it takes to be successful on and off the field.

"I was always used to just doing my own thing. As long as I made the play, it was fine. But then when I came to Sumter High, they had a structure that I had to follow," Anthony said. "Early on, I had to adjust to that. I feel like coming here is one of the big reasons why I'm the player I am today, because I feel like I'm more disciplined now when I play football."

Before getting to Sumter High, Anthony didn't study much film. Now, after every game, he's sending his film out to every coach that is willing to critique him. He's watching not only his own film, but also tape from every opposing team. That was the new standard Sumter High set for him.

"From talking with the college players, it's kind of similar to what they've already done," Anthony said of his tape study. "That's one of the things that I'm grateful for my mom for putting me in this position to be at this program because this program better prepared me to go to the next level."

The defensive line star also immediately noticed an elevated practice structure. He understood how the Gamecocks worked to intentionally improve.

"From all my other schools, our practices were kind of like scrimmages. We would always hit and bring everybody to the ground, but at Sumter High, it's more precise," he said. "We try to get formations done, learn coverages, learn stunts. I understand football a whole lot better since I came to Sumter High."

WORKING FOR IT

Anthony was always a star growing up. At Sumter High, he was suddenly a small fish in a big pond. He started at outside linebacker, but he was blocked off by starter Jabari Tiller. The defensive line still had its share of stars his freshman season with Monteque Rhames and Tajon Roach.

By the time his sophomore year rolled around, Anthony moved to the defensive line, but he still had to fight for reps on a talented defensive front. Tonya was a constant reminder in his ear as Anthony tried to fight his way into the lineup.

"I was always used to being the man and coming through and playing my own game. It was an eye-opening process," Anthony said. "'You don't have to start to make plays,' that's one of the things that she told me. 'I know this is a change for you, but you still have to play the game the same way that you were playing.'"

Tonya would text Anthony the same Bible verse after every game, Jeremiah 29:11. It reads, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The verse is tattooed across his right bicep as a constant reminder to keep working.

"That was really her just telling me to stay down and trust the process and trust the plan that God has for me," he said. "It came to life because before my junior year even started, I got an offer from Cincinnati."

RECRUITMENT

Anthony's college recruitment exploded during the summer after his sophomore season. He went down to Atlanta to play in an all-star game and started to get the attention of some scouts. After that, he made the rounds at various college camps. Anthony traveled across the Carolinas, going to camps at USC, Clemson and Charlotte, while going as far as UConn.

"I feel like the camp cycle is the No. 1 way to get on their radar if you're not already on there because you can showcase your talents to the college coaches right there in front of their face," Anthony said of grabbing the attention of college coaches. "You don't have to try to reach out on Twitter because if you go to the camp and ball out at the camp, then the rest of that's gonna come through."

While Anthony had a lot of interested coaches that summer, he didn't have any offers. Those didn't start flowing in until right before the start of the high school season. The day after the Gamecocks scrimmaged South Florence, Anthony got a call he won't soon forget from the University of Cincinnati.

"It kind of felt unreal. I remember it vividly. After we scrimmaged South Florence here at home, Saturday morning he called me, he FaceTimed me," Anthony said. "I'd never gotten an offer before. I was always used to coaches just telling me to keep going and keep balling and, 'You're doing good.' It was going like that, and then the next thing you know, he just called on FaceTime. He was like, 'Man, I want to offer you a scholarship to play at Cincinnati.'"

Anthony was on the phone with his mother close by, and the pair was in disbelief. He asked the coach if the offer was actually real. It very much was. Suddenly the floodgates opened. He was offered by Liberty and Appalachian State the next day, and even more came soon after. The Sumter High star started to get somewhat used to receiving offers from various programs, but one stopped Anthony in his tracks.

"I felt like that two times, that one and then when I got South Carolina," he said. "They offered me at the game where I was there with my uncle Terrance and my brother. We really just went to the game because they were playing Clemson. We've been to all the games, and it was like, 'If we can go see Clemson play in real life, we're about to go see Clemson and Carolina because we always grew up watching it.' It was just going up there, get in the game free, get some good food and have a good time. And then he offered me in person. I mean, it just shifted the whole night."

While Anthony loved the idea of staying close to home, he initially shied away from the idea.

"At first, none of my immediate family wanted me to go to Carolina," Anthony said. "I liked Tennessee more at first because it was away from home, and at first, my mom and my dad didn't want me to go to Columbia to play. They wanted me to go a little further out because they just didn't want me to be home and, you know, close to the same people."

In the end, defensive line coach Sterling Lucas changed the Addison family's perspective on South Carolina.

"Going further down the recruitment process and them meeting with Coach Lucas more, and he was able to show them what kind of a coach he was," Anthony said. "He would always answer the phone when I called, or if he didn't, he would always call back. And then with Coach Beamer, he's always texting me back and forth. It was just persistent. Another thing about South Carolina was their depth chart. I know they had a lot of older guys in my position, they were flooding out. So next year, it'll be more of a younger group coming in. Everybody wants that experience to play with that old head senior, but if you can play with guys more of your age, then that'll help you more."

But it was the relationship with Coach Lucas that stood out the most. He won Tonya over with the way he connected with her son.

"Anthony thrives off relationships, and Coach Lucas took the time to get to know who he was as a person, and Coach Lucas pours into him not just with football, but he pours into him to help him become that young man. He talks to him about academics and just about life in general. To Anthony, Coach Lucas is family, not just the coach. I believe that's what helped Anthony to feel at home and choose South Carolina."

Carlton Graham, one of Anthony's long-standing mentors from Timmonsville, knows the importance of the player-coach relationship for the Sumter High star.

"He's a relationship-driven person. If the head coaches build a great relationship, he'll run through a brick wall for him. He'll kill any tackle that's lined up in front of him to get to the quarterback," Carlton said. "If you build that bond with him and you show him that you love him and you have your best interest, that's just who he is. He wants to be loved, that's it."

WORKING ON THE TOOLBOX

Anthony's commitment to South Carolina only fueled his hunger to get better on the football field. That desire has been deep inside Anthony since he first stepped onto the field.

"Anthony has always had that commitment to be the best. He's always had that desire to be the best. He has his mindset that no one's going to be better than him. Even if they are right now, they're not going to outwork him; he's going to work harder to get there," Tonya said. "Even playing rec, he realized that there were some things he needed to work on. As he got older, he started networking with other coaches. Especially after getting to Sumter High, he would send his film to as many coaches as he could, asking them to review his film and to give him pointers to help him get better."

Mike Moss, Sumter High's defensive line coach who helped develop that long line of stars, saw that drive early in his time with the Gamecocks.

"First and foremost, he's a student of the game," Mike said of the defensive star who led SHS in tackles last season with 96. "He really goes above and beyond with developing his toolbox. He practices (his set of moves) religiously, and that's kind of one of those things that I started noticing as a 10th-grader. He came in, and he was behind some older guys and just continued to work. He has grown so much in the past two years."

Outside of the coaching he gets from Sumter High, Anthony travels to Columbia every weekend to work with Kevin Washington, a defensive line coach from Charlotte. One of his main focus points this offseason has been speed, as Anthony always wants to have a leg on up on the man in front of him.

"Not so much 40 time fast, I wanted to play football on a different speed level this year," Anthony said. "We've been going at it almost every Sunday trying to get it in because (Washington) realizes the vision that I have, and he has the same vision. It's amazing that I'm able to go work with somebody that has the same vision for me and has done it already. So for him to take what he's learned and to put it in me is one of the main reasons why I'm dedicated and going to him, because I know he's getting me better."

Anthony learned a lot during his junior season, which led him to a new approach this offseason. Because Anthony was searching for college offers, he felt like he spent too much time worrying about himself last year. That's going to change this season.

"My personal goal and my team goal is the same. I want to win. I mean, stats and stuff are all good, but my main goal, honestly, I really want to play in the state championship. I know all the sacks, the TFLs and all the tackles, I feel like that's all going to come to me, but my main focus is trying to win first, honestly," he said. "If you were to ask me that last year, it would have been the other way around. You can ask my coaches, because the way I played, I played really for me. I wanted to get stats. I wanted to have that 10 tackles every game. Even if we won or lost, I would want to still say I did my part. But if we're losing the game, that's not good enough. What I'm doing now is I want to make sure I do enough so we can win, not so much of a stat type of deal."

LEADERSHIP

That mindset shift has been evident this offseason. Mike has seen Anthony truly embrace a leadership role this summer.

"The thing about Ant is that he's a great leader at practice. He does not skip any reps. He's a great teacher, as well," Mike said. "We've got about 20 young men that we're working with right now in that position alone. If needed, I'll tell him to pull one of the younger guys aside to correct the stance, correct hand placement. He helps me out a bunch at practice just by doing that."

Anthony isn't always the loudest guy on the gridiron, but he wants to be an example for the younger athletes.

"I always like to set the example by how I play on the field," he said. "I feel like the rest of my teammates, especially on the D-line, I feel like they'll look at me and what I'm doing and try to add that to their game. I know that those boys are going to be ready to play."

That leadership is important this season because Anthony has an influx of young talent around him. Outside of Anthony, Sumter has a new defensive front. Jordan Lowery moved from defensive end to outside linebacker, and Alijah Brown moved on to play junior college football at Coffeyville. The Gamecocks will be banking on a pair of young standouts, Rashaun Dickey and Cameron Bradley, and Anthony wants to see them follow in his footsteps as the next great Sumter High defensive linemen.

"Anthony has taken a special interest in those guys," Mike said. "I can give them all the groundwork, and Anthony has picked up different things going to different places and going against different guys. That's really helped him blossom. One of the things he's really good at is his get off, and he's really good at hand placement. So he's really taking that leadership role and teaching these other guys, at the snap of the ball, where do our hands need to be, which foot do I need to step with? Just little things that, having 20 guys at our position right now, he's taken a big load off me."

Tonya has been so proud of the way her son has embraced that role so far as a senior.

"One of the phrases that we use frequently in our household that Anthony is very familiar with is, 'To much is given, much is required.' So, you're not on this path just for you, and it's always bigger than football," she said. "The higher you go up, the more that it's going to be required of you, not only to get better, but to give back. He understands that comes along with the territory, that it's not just about him, it's about making sure that the opportunity he has been given, he then passes that information along to others."

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

There are so many people who have helped Anthony get to where he is today. He credits his father for driving him across South Carolina all throughout his youth as he strove to improve. Tonya's role, along with being a supportive parent, was to drive him in the classroom. It was a natural fit for the educator.

"She always said that if I don't go D1, it'll be because of me. It won't be because I didn't have the grades," he said.

But Anthony has also been shaped by all of the coaches he's met along the way. Carlton never even formally coached Anthony, but he took a special interest in the future star when he was in middle school.

"When things got rough, when coaches don't believe in him, I've always been right there to pick him up," Carlton said.

Carlton took Anthony to his first college stop at Vanderbilt, where they ran into another former Gamecock, Miles Capers. He remained close with several coaches during the recruiting process and keeps a Rolodex of coaches across the state whom he keeps in touch with through film study or conversations about life away from football.

"We strongly believe that it takes a village to raise a child," Tonya said. "We are proud of the village that we have, and the village that we have is not just family, it's individuals who Anthony has bonded with over time. He has always been pretty serious about his craft, and he has kind of built those relationships with coaches, with trainers, and they have all become lifelong. I can't think of a coach who Anthony can't call and ask, 'What do you think of this?' after every game."

Next year, that village will get to watch Anthony put on the garnet and black. They can't wait to see what he'll do with the opportunity.

"I'm very excited about it. I think he'll move right in and be able to contribute immediately," Mike said. "The biggest thing I'm excited about is the proximity of it, just being able to go see him play on Saturday and not have to watch him on TV all the time. He's got the mindset to go as far as he wants to go. He's been one of the most humble ones that we've been around. He's stayed locked in, so to speak. We're just excited about his future."

Tonya is just excited to see her baby's dream come true.

"I saw him wait on that offer, I saw him wait and want that opportunity. I saw him pray for that opportunity. So, it would be great to see him live the things he prayed for yesterday," she said. "As he walks in that truth, it's just a matter of understanding how good God is and the blessings that he has bestowed."