Freshman forward Adam Boykin is getting ready to finish his first season with the Panthers.
The Edwardsville native is a strong striker and winger for Eastern as he played in 16 games for the Panthers and started six games.
Boykin has recorded one goal within the regular season against Western Illinois in the 25th minute of the game.
In this Q&A, Boykin talks about his favorite professional player he’s trained with, why he chose to come to Eastern and how fast he can solve a Rubik’s cube.
Q: When did you first start playing soccer?
A: “I started playing when I was 7 years old, so I’ve been playing for 11 years now.”
Q: Have you always been a striker and winger?
A: “For the majority of my career, I’ve played either striker or winger with all of my teams.”
Q: If you could play any other position in soccer, what would it be?
A: “I’d want to play somewhere like the center mid[fielders] or an attacking mid[fielder] or a defensive mid[fielder]. I think that’d be fun. With my skill set, I just don’t fit those positions.”
Q: Why did you choose to come to Eastern?
A: “I liked the campus, and I like the people. I was interested in the soccer program, so I decided to come. It’s not too far from home because I live around the St. Louis area, and it’s a good program.”
Q: Do you have any secret talents?
A: “I can solve a Rubik’s cube. I can solve the two by two one, and I can solve the triangle.”
Q: How long does it take you to solve a Rubik’s cube?
A: “The two by two one would take like 20 seconds. The triangle sometimes takes me a minute.”
Q: What has been your favorite memory thus far with this team?
A: “I think my favorite memory with the team was beating Western Illinois. We were all happy, and it was a good moment for the team. It boosted our team chemistry a lot.”
Q: What was going through your mind when you scored?
A: “I was just happy because it put our team ahead. When we score, it’s a big deal, and we get happy and celebrate together.”
Q: Who on the team are you giving the aux to?
A: “Casey [Welage] always gets the aux, so I’ll give it to him. He plays good music.”
Q: Pancakes or waffles?
A: “Pancakes. I think they’re a lot better.”
Q: Do you put anything on your pancakes?
A: “Chocolate chips. Sometimes bananas but that’s it.”
Q: Do you think the Earth is round or flat?
A: “I mean, I think it’s round. I don’t think it being flat makes sense. It makes no sense to me at all.”
Q: In a perfect world, what is your favorite postgame meal?
A: “I like Chipotle and Qdoba. I feel like those are good after the game meals. I wouldn’t mind having pizza and Subway.”
Q: If you could play any other sport, what would it be?
A: “I’d say track. I ran track in high school, and my team won state. I think it’s a sport I could do easily.”
Q: What events would you run?
A: “I ran the 4x100m and the 4x200m [in high school], so I think I could do 100m and the 200m here.”
Q: If you could have a walkout song, what would it be?
A: “I’m going to go with ‘Need It‘ by Migos and NBA Youngboy.”
Q: Do you have a favorite soccer team you follow?
A: “St. Louis City SC. I have more favorite teams across the world. I like Manchester City F.C.”
Q: Who is your favorite soccer player you got to train with?
A: “I would say Célio Pompeu. He plays on the first team with St. Louis [City].”
Q: How is it training with professional soccer players?
A: “It’s a different atmosphere. Everyone is top notch, and everyone’s good. They’ve been playing the game a lot longer than me. I was only 17-18 years old at the time, and these guys are like 25-26 years old and have more experience than me.”
Q: Who’s the funniest person on the team?
A: “I’d go with Josh Simon. I think he’s just a funny guy.”
Q: How do you like Eastern so far?
A: “I like it. I like how everything is in walking distance, so if you don’t have a car, you can walk there. I like all the people, and I made a lot of friends so far this year, and school’s going well.”
Q: What grade were you in when COVID-19 hit?
A: “Eighth grade.”
Q: How did COVID-19 affect you and your eighth-grade year?
A: “Everything went online. When I was in eighth-grade, school and grades didn’t really matter like that, so I wasn’t really doing my work like that. We just stayed at home because we didn’t know what was going on yet. We knew we had to be in quarantine. I quarantined all summer.”
Q: Who are your biggest supporters?
A: “I’d say my mom and dad. They’ll come out to most of my games here and drive the two hours and drive right back. I think they support me the most.”
Q: Knowing everything you know now, what would you tell 10-year-old you?
A: “I’d tell him to keep working hard. My road has never been easy, so just keep focus and work hard. Soccer hasn’t always came easy, so focusing and staying on task.”
Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.
