KANNAPOLIS — Former A.L. Brown High football superstar Nick Maddox’s agonizing climb up Florida State’s depth chart has been as sluggish as Maddox is swift.

“It’s been slow,” agrees the rapid running back, who’s back home in Kannapolis for some R&R between his sophomore and junior seasons in Tallahassee. “You hear how it is, how hard it is to play at Florida State, but you don’t really expect it to happen to you.”

It has happened to Maddox, one of the nation’s most highly sought recruits when he graduated from A.L. Brown in 1999. He’s mostly been a high-profile spectator for two years, making only sporadic guest appearances for a finely tuned machine that’s rolled up a 21-2 record.

But finally things are perking up for the 6-foot, 205-pounder. He shook off the considerable rust that accumulated during a sophomore season spent as a backup wideout to lead all rushers in Florida State’s recent Garnet-Gold Spring game. He had a 59-yard dash against a No.1 Seminole defensive unit that could intercept the average Cruise missile.

“It was good to be back home at running back and good to know I can still do the things I used to do,” said Maddox. “It was nice to hear the crowd roar like the old days. It was a breath of fresh air.”

Maddox emerged from his spring fling as the leading man in a tailback free-for-all. Still, his opening day starting position is far from secure. Greg Jones, a 225-pound train, is a scary force and Davy Ford, a senior scatback who is even speedier than Maddox, is in the mix.

“I’ve got to work hard to hold on to the spot,” said Maddox. “But I’m a team player. If they want me to be the man, I’m confident I can do it. If I’m just one of three, I’ll play my role. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Waiting’s something Maddox has gotten accustomed to the past two seasons. He’s looked on, learned and listened as recent NFL picks, Travis Minor and Jeff Chaney, toted the mail for the Seminoles. Maddox says he’s better, not bitter, for that difficult experience, although he makes the waiting game sound as tough as Marine boot camp.

“At Florida State, when you come in, they break you down right away,” Maddox said. “Everyone who’s recruited to play here was the greatest thing since ice water in their hometown. The coaches have to find out if you can be coached. So they tell you how bad you are. They tell you how much better you’ll have to get before you’ll ever see the field.”

No one’s ever faulted Maddox’s work ethic. He quietly performed the “hard labor” his coaches demanded.

“As a freshman coming in here, you have no idea what it takes,” said Maddox. “Maybe you ran a mile or two one time in high school. But then you come to a school where you have to get up at 5 to work out — and then make it to class. It takes a special discipline. It’s different. There’s so much to learn.”

Maddox is an easygoing guy with a grin on his face 99 percent of the time, but admits there were moments when he questioned if his endless practice grind would ever lead to peace of mind.

“Sometimes you get frustrated to the point that you almost hate the game and despise the coaches,” he said. “It’s confusing. You’re like, ‘Why don’t you like me? Why won’t you let me play?’ You work hard and try to be a model citizen and then you can’t get on the field. You start to wonder if maybe it’s your fault.”

Ex-Seminole Dexter Carter, who had a long, productive NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers, was the one who steered Maddox toward the light. Carter took him under his wing and his message was simple: “You’re okay. That’s just the way it is here and the way it’s always been. Pay your dues in practice and the workouts. Make the coaches happy. Let the system work and your time will come.”

Maddox did. And now, he is a factor. He may be a star six months from now.

“My mom knew by the time I was in eighth grade that she wouldn’t have to pay for my college,” said Maddox. “But my freshman and sophomore years at Brown, I was just doing okay. Then my junior year I broke out and really got my name out there. This is my junior year in college and I hope to do it all over again. I have a feeling special things are going to happen.”

Things started to swing this spring. When camp started, Maddox could sense a change in how he was being evaluated. Grandfatherly head coach Bobby Bowden has always greeted him with a hug and kind words, but now, for the first time, the assistants were building him up, rather than finding faults.

“Maybe the breaking down process is finally over with,” says a smiling Maddox. “They’re telling me how good I’m doing. They’re trying hard to fill me up with confidence. That makes me believe it’s my time — that all of this has been for a reason.”

Part of re-inflating Maddox’s confidence was handing him an award this spring that he never thought he’d see: “Most Improved Running Back.” That’s one of those double-edged swords, because it implies that at some point, you weren’t very good.

“I have improved,” Maddox admits. “I used to look for the big play every time I got the ball, because I was used to high school where I could go all the way any time I touched it. But in the college game, you have to take the consistent three-yard gain and maybe break that big one, once out of every 10 carries. The coaches seem a lot more pleased with me getting those 3s and 4s.”

Maddox could be huge for the Seminoles who are minus Heisman-winning QB Chris Weinke. The new quarterback’s going to be either of two kids, Chris Rix or Maddox’s roomie Anquan Boldin, so the Seminoles may depend on the ground game.

“Last year with Weinke we were 75-25 passing,” said Maddox. “This year, it might be 55-45. I do know we’ll be good. We’ll have two QBs who can get it done. We won’t be as experienced , but we’ll be much faster.”

Speaking of fast, Maddox is still a whiz in class. A National Honor Society scholar in high school, Maddox expects to earn a degree in Management Information Systems by the end of his junior year. He plans to make it a double major his senior year — adding a degree in Real Estate.

But at the moment, the only real estate he dreams about are 100-yard-long football fields.

“I’ve been through some things,” said Maddox. “But now I can finally see the big picture. And maybe that’s when you become a real player. My frustration has led to motivation.”

And in the past, a motivated Maddox has been something to behold.

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .