Sam Adams (football player)
Encyclopedia
Sam Aaron Adams, Jr. is an American football
defensive tackle who is currently a free agent
in the National Football League
. He was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks
eighth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Texas A&M
.
in Houston where he was part of a defense that included fellow future NFLer Dan Neil
as well as several other future Division I athletes.
At Cy-Creek, Adams was not only the Prep Southwest Defensive Player of the Year, but a state champion in the shot put
, placing 2nd in the nation.
He played collegiately
for Texas A&M where he was a starter
all three years. He was the Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year as a freshman in 1991 and was a first-team freshman All-America
. He was first-team All-SWC in 1992 after making 56 tackles
, including 4.5 sacks
. In his junior year, 1993, he led the team in tackles for loss (13), sacks (10.5), forced fumble
s (5), and fumble recoveries (3), while making 78 tackles.
That year, he was a consensus first-team All-America and was named national defensive player of the year by Sports Illustrated
. He was the Southwest Conference defensive player of the year as well as the runner-up for the Lombardi Award
.
He finished his Texas A&M career with 169 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions.
He was also was a member of the Texas A&M track
team, throwing the shot and discus
and for his accomplishments on the track and on the gridiron, Adams was inducted into the Texas A&M Hall of Fame in 2001.
in the 1994 NFL Draft
. He made several starts during his rookie year, splitting time between defensive tackle and defensive end
. In his second season, he sacked Mark Brunell
of the Jacksonville Jaguars
for a safety, scoring his first points of his professional career. He also blocked a field goal
in overtime
against the Arizona Cardinals
. He played several more years for Seattle, making the AFC
Pro Bowl
team as an alternate in 1997. In 2000
he signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens
, and helped lead the most dominating defense in the league to a victory at Super Bowl XXXV
. That season he was also named as a starter to the Pro Bowl for the first time, a feat he would repeat the following season. He had to wear number 95 for the rest of his NFL Career because fellow Baltimore Ravens
teammate Tony Siragusa
took his number 98.
In 2002 he was a free agent once again, and this time he signed with the Oakland Raiders
. He started 14 of the 16 games that season, missing one due to injury and played in the other game he did not start. He was on the team that went to Super Bowl XXXVII
; unfortunately, the result was not the same, as the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
In 2003, Adams signed with the Buffalo Bills
as a free agent and helped anchor the defensive line there. His first game for Buffalo was a memorable one, as he registered a sack, two tackles, and an interception against Tom Brady
that was returned for a touchdown
(his second career TD). He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2003 for the second time in his career.
On March 1, 2006, Adams was released by the Bills because of salary cap
issues.
On March 31, 2006, Adams signed a three year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals
. Joining the Bengals has reunited Adams with Marvin Lewis
, who was the defensive coordinator
for the Ravens when Adams played for them and is now Cincinnati's head coach
.
In what Lewis called "a very difficult decision", the Bengals released Adams on May 14, 2007. "But the timing is such that it provides Sam the opportunity to obtain a roster spot with another team.
That other team would end up being the Denver Broncos
, whom Adams officially signed with on June 4, 2007. Adams was released on December 4, 2007, and has not signed with another team since.
, played guard in the NFL for the New England Patriots
(1972–1980) and New Orleans Saints
(1981).
Adams was also the owner of the Everett Hawks
of the arenafootball2 (af2), and he also owned an af2 team in Cincinnati, Ohio
called the Cincinnati Jungle Kats
that played one season in 2007.
Adams is nicknamed "The Man Mountain".
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was originally drafted by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
eighth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
High school and college
Adams attended Cypress Creek High SchoolCypress Creek High School (Harris County, Texas)
Cypress Creek High School, also known as Cy Creek, is a public secondary school located in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. Cypress Creek, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District....
in Houston where he was part of a defense that included fellow future NFLer Dan Neil
Dan Neil (football player)
Daniel Neil is a former American football offensive lineman in the NFL for the Denver Broncos from 1997 through 2004....
as well as several other future Division I athletes.
At Cy-Creek, Adams was not only the Prep Southwest Defensive Player of the Year, but a state champion in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, placing 2nd in the nation.
He played collegiately
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for Texas A&M where he was a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
all three years. He was the Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year as a freshman in 1991 and was a first-team freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
. He was first-team All-SWC in 1992 after making 56 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, including 4.5 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
. In his junior year, 1993, he led the team in tackles for loss (13), sacks (10.5), forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s (5), and fumble recoveries (3), while making 78 tackles.
That year, he was a consensus first-team All-America and was named national defensive player of the year by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. He was the Southwest Conference defensive player of the year as well as the runner-up for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
.
He finished his Texas A&M career with 169 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions.
He was also was a member of the Texas A&M track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
team, throwing the shot and discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and for his accomplishments on the track and on the gridiron, Adams was inducted into the Texas A&M Hall of Fame in 2001.
NFL career
Adams was selected in the 1st round (8th overall) by the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. He made several starts during his rookie year, splitting time between defensive tackle and defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
. In his second season, he sacked Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a safety, scoring his first points of his professional career. He also blocked a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played several more years for Seattle, making the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
team as an alternate in 1997. In 2000
2000 Baltimore Ravens season
The Baltimore Ravens concluded the 2000 NFL season with a 12–4 record, good for second place in the AFC central, and earning them a spot in the playoffs as a wild card entrant...
he signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, and helped lead the most dominating defense in the league to a victory at Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV
Super Bowl XXXV was played on January 28, 2001 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 2000 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Baltimore Ravens defeated the National Football Conference champion New York...
. That season he was also named as a starter to the Pro Bowl for the first time, a feat he would repeat the following season. He had to wear number 95 for the rest of his NFL Career because fellow Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
teammate Tony Siragusa
Tony Siragusa
Anthony "Tony" Siragusa , nicknamed "Goose", is a former National Football League defensive tackle who spent twelve seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. He currently works as a sideline analyst for NFL games broadcast on the Fox Network.-Early life:Siragusa attended David...
took his number 98.
In 2002 he was a free agent once again, and this time he signed with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He started 14 of the 16 games that season, missing one due to injury and played in the other game he did not start. He was on the team that went to Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
; unfortunately, the result was not the same, as the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
In 2003, Adams signed with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a free agent and helped anchor the defensive line there. His first game for Buffalo was a memorable one, as he registered a sack, two tackles, and an interception against Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
that was returned for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
(his second career TD). He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2003 for the second time in his career.
On March 1, 2006, Adams was released by the Bills because of salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
issues.
On March 31, 2006, Adams signed a three year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Joining the Bengals has reunited Adams with Marvin Lewis
Marvin Lewis
Marvin Ronald Lewis is the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League, a position he has held since January 14, 2003...
, who was the defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Ravens when Adams played for them and is now Cincinnati's head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
.
In what Lewis called "a very difficult decision", the Bengals released Adams on May 14, 2007. "But the timing is such that it provides Sam the opportunity to obtain a roster spot with another team.
That other team would end up being the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, whom Adams officially signed with on June 4, 2007. Adams was released on December 4, 2007, and has not signed with another team since.
Personal
Adams is married to Erika. Together they have two sons, Sam and Terin, and a daughter, Tea Alexis. His father, Sam Adams Sr.Sam Adams Sr.
Sam Edwards Adams, Sr. is a former professional American football offensive guard with the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He played college football at Prairie View A&M University.He is the father of defensive tackle, Sam Adams....
, played guard in the NFL for the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
(1972–1980) and New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
(1981).
Adams was also the owner of the Everett Hawks
Everett Hawks
The Everett Hawks are a now-defunct professional and later minor-league arena football team based in Everett, Washington, USA. The team was in existence for five years in three leagues, the Northwest Football League , the National Indoor Football League , and af2 and in two cities, the Eastside...
of the arenafootball2 (af2), and he also owned an af2 team in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
called the Cincinnati Jungle Kats
Cincinnati Jungle Kats
The Cincinnati Jungle Kats were an af2 team that played its home games at the U.S. Bank Arena. Their only year in existence was 2007. The team is not to be confused with the The Marshals , the NIFL club that was the arena's former tenant, who changed their name to "The Marshals" and moved to Hara...
that played one season in 2007.
Adams is nicknamed "The Man Mountain".