Sam Adams (American football)

Sam Adams (born June 13, 1973) is a former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons. He played college football at Texas A&M University, and earned All-American honors. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks eighth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft, and he also played professionally for the Baltimore Ravens, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos of the NFL. Adams was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time All-Pro.

For his father, see Sam Adams Sr.

Sam Adams
No. 98, 95
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1973-06-13) June 13, 1973
Houston, Texas
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:340 lb (154 kg)
Career information
High school:Cypress Creek
(Houston, Texas)
College:Texas A&M
NFL Draft:1994 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:398
Sacks:44.0
Forced fumbles:6
Fumble recoveries:5
Interceptions:3
Defensive touchdowns:2
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Early years

Adams was born in Houston, Texas.[1] He attended Cypress Creek High School in Houston,[2] and he was part of the Cypress Creek Cougars defense that included fellow future NFL player Dan Neil. At Cy-Creek, Adams was not only the Prep Southwest Defensive Player of the Year in football, but a state champion in the shot put, placing second in the nation among high school track and field athletes.

College career

Adams attended Texas A&M University, where he was a starter for the Texas A&M Aggies football team for three years. He was the Southwest Conference (SWC) Newcomer of the Year as a freshman in 1991 and a first-team freshman All-American. He was a first-team All-SWC selection in 1992 after making 56 tackles, including 4.5 quarterback sacks.

In his junior year, 1993, he led the team in tackles for loss (13), sacks (10.5), forced fumbles (5), and fumble recoveries (3), while making 78 tackles. He was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, and was named national defensive player of the year by Sports Illustrated. He was also the Southwest Conference defensive player of the year, as well as the runner-up for the Lombardi Award. He finished his Texas A&M football career with 169 total tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, 20.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions.

He was also 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.

Professional career

Adams was selected in the first round (eighth overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL Draft,[3] and he played for the Seahawks from 1994 to 1999.[4] 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 a dominating defense in the league to a victory in Super Bowl XXXV. That season, he was also named as a starter in the Pro Bowl for the first time, a feat he would repeat the following season.

In 2002, he was a free agent once again, and this time he signed with the Oakland Raiders. He started 14 of 16 games that season, missing one due to injury and played in the other game, but did not start. He was on the team that went to Super Bowl XXXVII.

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 his second career touchdown. 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 due to salary cap issues, 30 days later Adams signed a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, reuniting him with head coach Marvin Lewis who was the defensive coordinator for the Ravens when Adams played for them.

Adams signed with the Denver Broncos on June 4, 2007. He was released on December 4, 2007.

NFL statistics
YearTeamGPCOMBTOTALASTSACKFFFRYDSINTYDSAVGLNGTDPD
1994SEA12272074.0000000004
1995SEA162616103.5000000004
1996SEA16403465.5310000004
1997SEA165136157.0100000004
1998SEA16292632.0010125252514
1999SEA13383171.0010000001
2000BAL16272342.0010000006
2001BAL14231942.0100000001
2002OAK15211742.0000000001
2003BUF15332495.0010137373713
2004BUF164126155.0100100003
2005BUF14191543.0000000000
2006CIN16141042.0000000000
2007DEN119540.0000000001
Career2063983029644.06503622137236

[5]

Key

  • GP: games played
  • COMB: combined tackles
  • TOTAL: total tackles
  • AST: assisted tackles
  • SACK: sacks
  • FF: forced fumbles
  • FR: fumble recoveries
  • FR YDS: fumble return yards
  • INT: interceptions
  • IR YDS: interception return yards
  • AVG IR: average interception return
  • LNG: longest interception return
  • TD: interceptions returned for touchdown
  • PD: passes defensed

Personal life

Adams and his wife Erika, have two sons and a daughter. His father, Sam Adams Sr., played guard in the NFL for the New England Patriots (1972–1980) and New Orleans Saints (1981).

Adams is nicknamed "The Man Mountain". He is still a popular figure in Seattle; he raised the "12th Man" flag during a 2012 Sunday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Sam Adams is the current owner of the Indoor Football League team Spokane Shock.

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References
  1. National Football League, Historical Players, Sam Adams. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  2. databaseFootball.com, Players, Sam Adams Archived March 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  3. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1994 National Football League Draft. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  4. Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Sam Adams. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
  5. "Sam Adams Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
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