Adams goes from obscurity to top 5 draft pick

[Bruce=GOAT]

Adams goes from obscurity to top 5 draft pick
By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/23/2007


Gaines Adams has spent a good portion of his football life trying to get noticed.

As a high school senior, he had 14 sacks and 57 catches for 1,680 yards and 20 touchdowns at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood, S.C. Trouble was, tiny Cambridge played eight-man football, so nobody seemed to notice.

Adams got no college offers.

"It was tough," he said. "I had to work my way into a scholarship. I did that at Fork Union."

That he did. Adams registered 22 sacks in 10 games in one season at the prep school in Virginia.

"It seemed like it was something I had to prove, coming from eight-man football, playing receiver, really no one respected me," Adams said. "I just had to do it."

Adams' work at Fork Union attracted notice from several Atlantic Coast Conference schools. One of his recruiting trips was to North Carolina, where he saw his favorite player — former Tar Heel and current NFL Pro Bowler Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers.

But according to Adams, North Carolina dropped him on signing day.

"The only school I had left was Clemson, so I had to go there," Adams said.

It took awhile, but Adams blossomed into one of college football's top pass rushers. He finished with 28 sacks, which tied Michael Dean Perry's school record. His 66 quarterback pressures set a school record.

After an excellent junior season in '05, Adams decided to return for his senior season.

It proved to be a great move. Not only did Adams earn his degree in sports management, he had a monster year on the field with 12½ sacks, 26 QB pressures and 17½ tackles for loss. He even returned a fumble for a touchdown en route to gaining ACC defensive player of the year honors.

Now, everyone in football knows about Adams. Sure, Adams' run defense still leaves something to be desired. And he needs some added strength and bulk to make the most of his talents in the pros.

But elite pass rushers are like gold in the NFL.

The Detroit Lions, with the No. 2 pick, are said to be targeting Adams, although they may attempt to trade down a couple of spots to do so. Whether it's the Lions, Adams looks like a top five pick.

"It's a dream come true for me, coming from a small town and a small school playing eight-man football,'' Adams said. "It's just a dream come true, and it shows how much hard work pays off."

[general counsel]

someone please explain to me the difference between adams and anderson.

ramming speed to all

general counsel