Anthony Spencer has fond memories of playing Wingate University.

Last season, he scored a touchdown against the Bulldogs in a 54-13 Catawba victory.

To his buddies back in Lawrenceville, Ga., that was nothing unusual. As a quarterback for Central Gwinnett, he was used to seeing the end zone.

But the score may have been his most satisfying. It came on defense as a free safety.

“He’s still a quarterback,” smiled Catawba coach David Bennett. “He’s the quarterback of our defense.”

Bennett knew he wanted Spencer from the first time he saw him in 1996. Spencer traveled to Catawba for the Gerald Williams Football Camp with high school teammate Mark Sintich. Bennett watched him play on both sides of the ball.

“Anthony was versatile,” Bennett remembers. “My convincing of the staff about him was, ‘If you don’t want him on defense, we’ll take him on offense.’”

Spencer didn’t care. While at Central Gwinnett, he played quarterback, running back, receiver, strong safety, linebacker and cornerback.

He thought he was headed for Louisville until he hurt a knee and the calls stopped. Except for Bennett.

“I remember thinking, ‘This place is kinda small,” Spencer said of his first look at 4,000-seat Shuford Stadium. “I was used to playing in front of 15,000.

However, he found out those fans at Catawba made a lot of noise. Now, he goes home proudly wearing his Catawba garb after last year’s 11-2 season.

“I was working out, wearing a Catawba shirt, and a guy’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve heard of Catawba.’ I think more people in the South know about us now.”

Spencer had no reservations about giving up quarterback. In fact, he relished his switch to defense.

“My senior year in high school, there was an article on all the quarterbacks in the county,” he said, “and most of the guys wrote that their role model was Joe Montana or somebody like that. Mine was Steve Atwater. That’s because I’ve always loved the defensive side of the ball, delivering the hit instead of getting hit.”

But he can say he scored a college touchdown. Wingate quarterback Brian Baughman fumbled after a hard hit and when Spencer looked down, the ball was right there for the taking.

“I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t get caught. Don’t get caught.’”

Spencer also relishes the fact that he is a part of the nation’s best defense. While the defense against the run gets most of the attention, Spencer and his fellow secondary mates are pretty adept at stopping the pass.

“We have an extraordinary secondary,” Spencer said. “It may be the deepest since I’ve been here. We’re eight, nine deep in the rotation.”

Spencer started his senior season in fine fashion, picking off a Livingstone pass in the 49-0 win. He and fellow senior safety Dyran Peake knew the pop pass was coming.

“D.P. was like, ‘Let me run it.’ I was like, ‘Nah, let me get it.’ So he likes to kid me that it should’ve been his.”

Spencer owes a lot to assistant head coach Richard Kent, who is in charge of the defensive backs. Kent can be volatile when a player misses an assignment ... but so far?

“He hasn’t been crazy — yet,” Spencer laughed. “Coach Kent is a remarkable coach at how precise he’s got stuff down.”

Especially the mental part. After losing in the national playoffs last year, Kent took his defense to the trophy case and pointed out something about the 1949 Catawba team.

“That team only allowed 49 points,” Spencer said. “Our goal is to be lower.”

The Indians are well on their way. They have yet to give up a point in two games.

“There’s a lot of talent on our defense,” he said. “I’m not sure anybody can block our linemen. If you try to go wide, our outside backers are right there. Then, you’ve got the middle linebackers.”

And don’t forget those defensive backs. Bennett certainly didn’t forget when the kid from Georgia caught his eye.

“He’s one of those kids that you didn’t know how much of an impact he’d make when he came into the program,” Bennett said. “But he is so valuable.”

“It’s great excitement to be part of this program,” said Spencer. “It’s on the rise.”

Thanks, in large part, to the quarterback of the defense.