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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Aaron Spikes
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Home Phone: 214-879 -1494 Football: Q&A with Aaron Spikes Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • October 8, 2010 For the third time in a still-young football season, UL will start another player at tailback this week. Aaron Spikes is ready for his chance. The talented freshman from Texas will make his first collegiate start tonight against No. 22 Oklahoma State at Cajun Field. Spikes spoke with The Daily Advertiser earlier this week to give a closer look at what drives him on and off the field. Question: How excited are you to get your first collegiate start with your five-month-old daughter, Alicia, watching from the stands? Answer: She’s my daughter, and she’s my world. It’s going to be great to make my first start with her here. It feels good to finally get this opportunity. Now it’s my turn, so I need to step it up. Q: What did it feel like to score your first touchdown as a Cajun on that 82-yard catch last week vs. North Texas? A: It was just the perfect play call. The coaches wanted to get the ball in my hands. It was a perfect wheel route. I was lucky to get open for the touchdown. Q: How did you end up at UL? A: I was committed to Texas Tech for a year and wanted to go there bad because I was a Texas kid. I was well acquainted with all of their coaches, but after they left I decided to explore my options. (UL) coach (Ron) Hudson gave me a call, and I decided to commit here. Q: Why did you move from Waco to Dallas at 14? A: I was staying with my grandma at the time, but things got rough so I moved up to Dallas with my dad. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t moved up there. I didn’t really want to play football, but the coaches (at Pinkston High School) put me at running back and football became a sport that I liked. Q: What do you do in your spare time away from football? A: People don’t really see me as a basketball player, but I like to play basketball sometimes. It helps me get football off my mind. Q: In what ways has your life changed since becoming a father? A: My daughter is back in Austin with her mother, but I’m still trying to help out as much as I can to support her. I’m out there buying her clothes and diapers. She’s on my mind 24-7. I have a picture of her in my locker. I’m playing for her. She’s my little darling. * * * * * * * * * * Football: Spikes’ turn comes Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • October 7, 2010 Aaron Spikes patiently waited for his opportunity to become UL’s starting tailback after arriving on campus last summer. With Kevis Streeter suffering a season-ending knee injury last week, the talented freshman from Dallas will finally get his first collegiate start on Friday when No. 22 Oklahoma State comes to Cajun Field. Sitting in the stands will be Spikes’ 5-month-old daughter, Alicia, who lives with her mother in Texas. “She’s my daughter, and she’s my world,” said Spikes, who keeps a picture of his daughter in his locker. “It’s going to be great to make my first start with her here. It feels good to finally get this opportunity. “Now it’s my turn, so I need to step it up.” Spikes is coming off his best game as a Ragin’ Cajun in last week’s 28-27 win over North Texas. He rushed for 18 of the team’s 41 yards but more importantly had four catches for 99 yards, including an 82-yard scoring reception from Chris Masson on a wheel route in the second quarter. For Spikes, it was his first collegiate touchdown. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder was elevated from No. 2 on the depth chart to be the primary tailback when Streeter went down on UL’s first offensive series. It was also Spikes’ second highly productive game of the season. He rushed for 53 tough yards on 13 carries in a Week 2 win over Arkansas State. Spikes beat out freshman Rob Walker of Mamou and junior Julian Shankle for the starting job after Streeter’s injury. He is second on the team this season in carries (29) and rushing yards (76) and should get more carries moving ahead as the starter. “He works hard, and that’s what he’s got to do,” UL coach Rickey Bustle said. “He knows that he’s going to be the guy this week along with Rob Walker and Julian Shankle.” After living in Waco, Texas, with his grandmother, Spikes moved to Dallas at 14 to live with his father. He became a star at Pinkston High School, rushing for 1,281 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore and 1,526 yards and 16 scores as a junior. Spikes verbally committed to Texas Tech during the spring of his junior year and was poised for a stellar senior season. A high-ankle sprain, though, limited his ability to contribute offensively as a senior, although he moved to defensive back and earned first team all-district honors. Texas Tech then fired coach Mike Leach last December. Spikes, rated the nation’s No. 63 tailback and a three-star recruit by Scout.com, later withdrew his pledge from the Red Raiders soon after Tommy Tuberville was hired to replace Leach. Kansas State, Purdue, Utah and UNLV also pursued Spikes in addition to UL, but he ultimately signed with the Cajuns. UL fans can thank offensive coordinator Ron Hudson for tracking down Spikes late in the recruiting process and eventually getting him on campus. “It doesn’t matter how big the school is,” Spikes said at the time. “I believe I can go in and make an immediate impact on the team and help get them to a bowl game.” Spikes drove from Dallas to Lafayette the day after his high school graduation to start summer school in June but still had to wait for his turn. While working to digest UL’s playbook and pass-protection schemes, he showed the ability to run with power and make defenders miss. When the Cajuns opened the season at Georgia, the more-experienced Shankle earned the start at tailback. Streeter started the next three games, but when he got hurt against Arkansas State and UNT it was Spikes that stepped in and had strong performances in both wins. This week Spikes will earn his first collegiate start against an Oklahoma State defense that has allowed an average of more than 400 yards of total offense and 29 points per game this season. “It’s been a challenge for me, but I’ve progressed a lot and everything is working out for the best right now,” Spikes said. “Kevis showed that he could be the guy early, but now he’s gone for the season. That’s even more motivation for me to step up and be ready to play.”
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