Evan Spivey does it all for Germantown Academy. He’ll focus on his strength at safety for Coastal Carolina

At the end of Germantown Academy’s 2019 season opener against Simon Gratz, Patriots coach Matthew Dence was asked about the hard-hitting defensive back who had dominated throughout the game.

That defensive back was Evan Spivey, who at the time was a freshman making his first varsity start. Though it was his first taste of live high school football, Spivey didn’t play like it. Others took notice of Spivey’s performance that day.

Dence doesn’t remember who approached him after the game, but he remembers exactly what was said.

“They said, ‘Where’s that kid going?’ And I said, ‘Well, he just got here,’” Dence recalled. “They thought he was a senior in high school.”

Part of what helped Spivey have an instant impact as a freshman was his calm demeanor. Spivey approaches every practice and game with the same level of intensity.

“Me, personally, I just feel like I’m a football player,” Spivey said. “So hopping up in the mix wasn’t really too much of a problem for me.

“People aren’t really expecting it, so coming with that kind of intensity, I’m going to definitely catch people off guard. So, that’s what I challenged myself to do.”

Playing a physical brand of football also comes naturally to Spivey. Growing up, he was always one of the bigger kids on the field, and he got used to using his size to his advantage. As he continued to grow into his frame, Spivey leaned into his physicality and athleticism.

Because of the talented upperclassmen that Germantown Academy boasted during Spivey’s freshman year, his impact that season was limited to defense and special teams. That changed when as a sophomore the 6-foot-2 Spivey had the chance to showcase his athleticism in a new way — at wide receiver.

Spivey faced several challenges in adding wide receiver to his on-field responsibilities. Though he’s a naturally gifted athlete, Spivey wasn’t a natural ball-catcher. He also had to get used to the quick-game, run-pass option style of offense that GA runs.

Spivey’s athleticism and football IQ helped him learn quickly, though, and it wasn’t long before he was a two-way standout for the Patriots.

“Now, he catches everything,” Dence said. “He can do everything with them behind the line of scrimmage, screens, RPO, that kind of stuff. We can go down the field with him, too. The biggest piece to all that is that his approach to the mental side of the game is off the charts.”

Last season was perhaps the best display of Spivey’s ability to contribute at both ends of the field. The Fort Washington native recorded the most receiving yards of any Inter-Ac player, and he led Germantown Academy in touchdowns. Spivey did all that while continuing to star at his primary position, safety. Those efforts helped Spivey earn All-Inter-Ac honors on both offense and defense.

Playing multiple positions has come naturally for Spivey, who grew up playing a multipurpose athlete role. It has also helped him develop as a safety.

“It has definitely helped as a safety, being able to think like a receiver and understand the route tree and stuff like that,” Spivey said. “So that definitely helps playing on the defensive side of the ball.”

This season, Spivey figures to continue starring on both sides of the ball for the Patriots. In preseason practices, Spivey played every offensive skill position aside from quarterback. Dence also plans to use Spivey as a return specialist.

That level of involvement means that Spivey isn’t likely to leave the field for more than a handful of plays each game. That’s how the senior likes it, though.

“I just flat out love the game of football,” Spivey said. “Me being able to play that type of role for my team, and them being able to rely on me the way that they can, it means a lot to me.”

Said Dence: “That’s one of his goals, to be on the field as much as possible, because he feels he can impact the game. And he’s right.”

Along with his athleticism and explosiveness, Spivey’s tenacity on the field helped him attract the attention of college programs. The safety drew his first Division I offer in February. That offer from Kent State was a confidence boost for Spivey and proved pivotal in his recruiting process.

“That was a big one,” Spivey said. “It kind of just got me going [and] got me on other schools’ radars. I’m definitely very appreciative of that program.”

Spivey kept a high interest in Kent State as he continued to draw additional offers this spring and summer. It was the last school to offer him a scholarship that secured Spivey’s commitment.

Spivey received his offer from Coastal Carolina on May 4, and a month later, he took an official visit to the Conway, S.C., campus. After that visit, and after numerous conversations with the Chanticleers staff, Spivey began to see a future with Coastal Carolina.

“He was looking for a plan,” Dence said. “That was important to me as his coach. … We liked when the defensive coordinator came and said, ‘Here’s what we want out of you, here’s what we think you’re going to be.’ They showed him film when he was on his official [visit] down there and said, ‘Here’s the position we think you can play.’”

During that film review, the position that Coastal Carolina’s coaching staff highlighted was the strong safety spot that Spivey has starred at for GA. In that position, Spivey will be looked to as a physical playmaker capable of coming down in the box and rushing in addition to dropping back in coverage.

Coastal Carolina’s football pedigree also appealed to Spivey, and the program’s recent success — which includes back-to-back 11-win seasons and several appearances in the top 25 — was a major bonus.

“It’s definitely a blessing being able to compete against the best of the best,” Spivey said. “That’s another big reason why I chose that school.”