In 2011, Charleston native Adam Drake played in his first game for the Eastern football team.

In the season opener against Illinois State, Drake recorded his first collegiate reception. It was his lone catch of the game — a 13-yard gain for a Panther first down that was followed by a 42-yard touchdown catch by Lorence Ricks.

Drake has come a long way from his red-shirt freshman season. He is no longer setting the stage for his teammates to celebrate in the end zone. Drake is the one scoring the touchdowns now.

In Eastern’s home opener this season, Drake faced a familiar opponent — Illinois State.

In the Panthers’ second drive of the game, Drake caught two passes.

First came a 41-yard strike from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who connected with Drake as he beat Illinois State defensive back Josh Burch and ran free, tip-toeing the sideline before Burch caught up to Drake and tackled him. Then followed a 23-yard touchdown that ended with Drake crashing through a portion of the white fence that surrounds the field.

He said after that drive he knew he was going to be a difference maker.

“When I caught the deep ball and my first touchdown against Illinois State, I got pretty excited and I realized that I could really contribute to the team a lot,” Drake said.

Drake’s red-shirt junior season did not begin with a bang, making three receptions for 14 yards against San Diego State, but in the next three games he combined to catch 26 passes for 416 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2011, Drake made six starts and played in all 11 games, ending the season with 19 receptions, 312 yards and a touchdown.

The following year Eastern hired Dino Babers to coach the Panthers.

Drake, who started in the last three games in 2011, was a backup receiver in 2012 and mainly played on special teams.

The former first-team All-Apollo Conference player at Charleston High School, said although he was a backup receiver last season, he was able to get a better grasp of the quick tempo offense that Babers brought to Eastern from Baylor.

“Being a backup last year gave me a lot of time to adjust to the new offense and learn the new techniques that we need to know,” Drake said. “Seeing where I lacked, when I could see other receivers, seeing where I lacked in my route technique and things, I feel it helped me a lot in knowing what I needed to do coming into this year.”

It was time well spent for Drake, who has already surpassed his career totals in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in his first four games this year.

With 430 yards, 29 receptions and six touchdowns, Drake is only behind red-shirt senior Erik Lora in all three categories on the Eastern roster.

Drake said Lora, who is the all-time career receptions leader in the Ohio Valley Conference, has helped him evolve as a receiver since the Panthers have started running a fast-paced offense.

“Just watching Lora’s routes I’ve learned a lot from him — his hip movement and things like that,” Drake said. “I like watching Lora’s routes. It always makes me better, I feel like.”

Babers said Drake is following in the footsteps of Lora, who had a breakout season a year ago, Babers is not surprised by Drake’s breakout season.

“I’m not going to use that ‘S’ word, but I think it’s just exciting,” Babers said.

Babers said when he and his coaching staff arrived at Eastern; they implemented new techniques and knowledge into the wide receiver position that had not been present on the Panther roster.

“The first guy who jumped up and swallowed the pill was Erik Lora and then he took off,” Babers said. “And now, to see Adam Drake swallow that pill, and what he’s done reinforces what we’re teaching the receivers and what we’re teaching the quarterbacks.”

Drake said Babers has been a great help to his development as receiver, which included learning new techniques.

“We call it our ‘tool belt’ so, we go to work, which is our football games, and we take our tool belt with us,” Drake said. “Inside is what we need for work, which are our special releases we have and different kinds of techniques we use on DB’s, when they’re in certain depths against us.”

Drake has been taking his newfound skills into every game this season. He has two touchdowns and at least 100 yards receiving in the last three games.

The tool belt sure has been handy. 

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].