DL Recker on track for big 2016 season (VIDEO)

Aspirations of dominance: Future looks bright for Flames standout defensive end

Anderson Recker is a defensive end for the Sir John A. MacDonald Flames who has already amassed quite the decorated football resume. With nearly a decade of playing experience and a collection of awards under his belt, Recker is getting ready for his final season of high school football with the goal of being his most dominant self yet. With a recruitment process that really began rolling after Recker shined at the Canada Cup and the Maritime Combine, the future is certainly bright for the impact pass rusher.

Recker’s football career began with the Timberlea Titans minor football program, and it was during this time that the lineman won 6 provincial titles in 7 seasons along with multiple defensive MVP awards. With the Sir John A. MacDonald Flames, Recker was voted a NSSAF Division 1 First Team All-Star in 2015 at both defensive end and offensive tackle. On top of this, the standout lineman also served as a captain on the 2016 Canada Cup team and he currently serves as a captain on the Flames.

Anderson Recker:

Positions:
Defensive End

Height/Weight:
6’1, 222 lbs

Teams:
Sir John A. MacDonald Flames (high school: NSSAFFL)
Timberlea Renegades (spring football)
Timberlea Titans (Minor Football Association)

Committment:
None

Official Visits:
None

Considerations:
Mount Allison, Saint Mary’s, Acadia, St Francis Xavier , Queen’s, British Columbia, McGill, Waterloo, Open

Class:
2017

Recker has been a talented difference maker on defence since he started playing football, but it was really after representing Nova Scotia at the 2015 Canada Cup that the young edge rusher began to turn heads and attract the attention of CIS programs.

“My recruitment process began at the 2015 Canada Cup,” offered the Flames defensive end. “I ended up with a game MVP which has brought attention to me from coaches across Canada. At the tournament I spoke to many universities and I also was coached by AUS coaches who were part of the coaching staff on Team Nova Scotia.”

Having the opportunity to show university coaches and recruiters the level of ability he possesses, and to learn directly what CIS coaches expect out of their players, Recker has really benefited from the experience of playing at the Canada Cup.

“Having CIS coaching was a great experience as it gave me a look at what coaches want and need in players at the CIS level,” added Recker. “I also released my high school season highlight tape which helped me gain more attention from universities and helped me communicate and get in contact with coaches. I was able to show off some of my talent at the 2016 Maritime Combine in February, and many AUS universities were in attendance and it was a great time. Most recently I just got back from my trip to Winnipeg for the 2016 Football Canada Cup! This was my second year playing in the cup and it was another unbelievable experience. The Canada Cup provides great exposure for Canadian football players to CIS recruiters and coaches. Once again Team Nova Scotia had a great coaching staff made up of AUS coaches and it is great to be able to show off my talents to them at every practice as well as to be getting great high class CIS coaching.”

As it currently stands, Recker is considering AUS programs as well as universities outside of the Maritimes, with both his football career and post-football ambitions in mind.

“I am currently strongly considering all of the AUS schools for education and football,” expressed Recker. “Mt. A, SMU, Acadia, and StFX are all great schools. I have also been looking into Queens, UBC, McGill and Waterloo. I do not currently have any official plans to visit universities in the near future but I have been in close contact with coaches and we have discussed the possibilities of visits in the future.”

With a training regiment that is as intense as his defensive play on the field, Recker knows that putting in the hard work towards further developing his strength, speed and conditioning is the way to take his game to an even higher level as he gets ready for the new season.

“I am currently on a 9 month Football strength and conditioning program at The Ultimate Athlete (The Factory) run by Coach Al Wetmore,” described Recker. “This program is 3 times per week for 1.5-2hrs a session, and it is broken up into 13 Mesocycles to maximize performance and improvement. We also just started SKAT (Speed Kills Agility Terrorizes) which is a speed and quickness program also run by Coach Al Wetmore. It is 2 sessions per week, 1.5hrs per session. Lastly, I am also playing high school rugby which is a great way to help me train on my footwork, cardio, and speed.”

Recker is covering all his bases when it comes to his training, as his personal goals on the field for 2016 are to be well-rounded and proficient in both his technique and physical ability. The Flames defensive end is setting himself up to wreak havoc for opposing offences in 2016.

“To get my game up at an even higher level for next season I will be training in both of Coach Al Wetmore’s programs right up until the beginning of the season,” added Recker. “These will help me get bigger, faster, stronger and improve my technique to prepare me to have a dominant season next year.”

Natural physical ability and athletic talent have not been the entire story for Recker’s football journey, as the Flames defensive end knows just how important the personal coaching influences have been on his path to football success.

“One person who has influenced me in football would be my defensive line coach Mark Haggett,” offered Recker. “He is by far the best defensive line coach I have ever met. He teaches great technique and motivates you to be the best person you can be on and off the field. He’s always making sure you’re focused and on the right track to your goals and he has taught me to be the football player I am today. Coach Haggett is currently Head Coach at Dalhousie University.”

The highlight of the 2015 season for Recker was one of those moments a player never forgets. After facing adversity at the beginning of the year, the Flames rallied around the leadership and committed two-way play of players like Recker to move beyond a difficult start and advance to the championship finals.

“Last high school season was a very bumpy road for the SJA Flames, we started out the season 0-2 which was a huge struggle to come back from,” described Recker. “We were hurting for numbers and players, which is why myself and many other teammates had to play both ways. We fought hard through the season and finished 3rd in the league at the end of the regular season. We played our rivals CPA in our semi-final game, and we had played CPA twice that season and our record was 1-1 so we all knew it was going to be a good hard fought game. The game came down to the last second, 10-9 for SJA, CPA was in the position for a field goal to win the game. They kicked the field goal and it went wide left, Josh Pinfold caught the ball in the end zone and ran it back 110 yards for a touchdown and from there we advanced to the finals. That is the highlight of my season and any of my teammates season if you ask them.”

As far as his plans for life after football, the Flames defensive end is planning on using his work ethic and dedication to contribute and make a difference in another way.

“Right now I am focusing on sciences or engineering for university,” added Recker. “They are topics I really enjoy and there are many careers in both of those topics that I could see myself enjoying.”

When it comes to the man himself, Recker is the kind of teammate everyone wants on their side. And if being the captain of his high school’s undefeated rugby team is any indication, the Flames defensive end is no stranger to leading a locker room to victory.

“I am a humble guy with a good sense of humour,” expressed Recker. “I can always make the team laugh, but when it gets down to business I will be serious. I also play lots of high school rugby, and this season we went undefeated in our region and won the regional banner. We went on to provincials and lost in the championship receiving silver medals finishing 15-1, and this was my second year being a captain of this rugby team.”