Lyons graduate Jeff Adams worked a long time to reach his goal of making an NFL active roster.
When it happened last season with the Houston Texans, it was an experience he will never forget. It also enhanced his desire to become a starter.
Adams, 25, was on the sideline for the first time Oct. 9 when J.J. Watt returned a fumble 45 yards for a late touchdown as the Texans rallied from a 24-0 deficit before losing to the Indianapolis Colts 33-28.
“That was three years in the making,” said Adams, who later made his NFL debut Dec. 21 against the Baltimore Ravens. “It was a Thursday night game. It was the loudest game I’ve ever been in. We have phenomenal fans. When J.J. returned the fumble for a TD we had 80,000 fans screaming. It sent chills up my back. That kind of experience just makes you want more.”
The 6-foot-7, 305-pound tackle dressed for four games last season and played in the final two. Now for the first time he will be considered an NFL veteran when he reports to Texans training camp July 31.
“I’ve been able to take steps every year,” Adams said. “Making an active roster was a goal of mine since my first year. I want to dress for every game this year. I want to improve every day I’m at camp. I can only control what I do every day.
“I feel good about where I’m at and I’m going to keep working toward getting on the field as much as possible. Every day I work toward being a starter. If you settle for anything less you’re not going to last long in the league.”
The road to the NFL didn’t come easy for the 2007 Lyons graduate. On June 25, he spoke about his journey to the Lyons football team during a trip back home to Western Springs.
“The message I consistently try to portray to kids is about being a coachable player, both in the classroom and on the field,” said Adams, who made academic all-state as a senior at Lyons. “This is something many young athletes struggle with. You have to be able to take criticism and apply it; not shut down.
“I talk about the value of goal-setting. I had a lot of positive role models in my life and if I can share some of the things that have helped me get where I’m at today, it’s something I enjoy doing.”
Adams’ visit left an impression on senior Chase Nacker, who will be a guard in the fall for the Lions and hopes to play Division I football.
“It was cool,” Nacker said. “Not every school has a pro football player that can come out and talk to the team. People think pro athletes don’t come upon any trouble and that they are always the best of the best, but he told us that he didn’t make all the teams he wanted. He always sets small goals for himself and he really had to work hard to get where he is.”
Only one college offered Adams a scholarship and he decided to walk on at Columbia.
He went on to become a three-time first-team all-Ivy League selection and made third-team Associated Press All-American as a senior. But he went undrafted after being projected as a possible fifth- or sixth-rounder by at least one scouting service.
“Going to Columbia was the greatest decision I ever made, but you don’t go there hoping to go the NFL,” Adams said. “A lot of people told me they didn’t even know Columbia had a football team. After my junior season, we had scouts coming in and that was my first taste of it.”
Adams signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2012, spent 10 weeks on the practice squad with the Cincinnati Bengals, and made the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans practice squads before landing with the Texans last Aug. 31.
“Undrafted guys get fewer opportunities than drafted players,” Adams said. “I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity and you have to be ready for letdowns. Every time I get cut, I figure out what I have to do to improve and make an active roster. You do get discouraged because you’re moving all over the country and you don’t know if your phone will ring again.”
One of the first professional coaches to have an impact on Adams was Dallas Cowboys offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who’s from Chicago.
Adams also was inspired by Houston offensive lineman Tyson Clabo, who was released by the Texans May 21. An unsigned free agent, Clabo played nine years in the league and was active for all 16 games last season.
“I’ve learned a lot from the older guys on any team I’ve been on,” Adams said. “I want to take in as much as I can. Tyson Clabo took a similar career path as me. He didn’t get drafted and was on multiple teams’ practice squads. He kept grinding and never gave up and ended up playing [nine] years. His hard work and style of play has influenced me.”
Lyons football coach Kurt Weinberg feels fortunate that longtime assistant coach Mark Kropke was able to arrange for Adams’ visit as part of the program’s character development sessions.
“It was a great opportunity to have Jeff,” said Weinberg, who became head coach the season after Adams graduated in 2008. “It’s a fun thing for the team to hear an NFL guy talk and take wisdom from his words. He walked in the same hallways that they did and is now grinding in the NFL. He’s gone through a lot like a lot of our kids have and he’s just trying to improve day by day. It was a great resource for our boys.”
Ken Ryan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
