Sam Adams (American football)

Samuel Aaron Adams, Jr. (born June 13, 1973) is a former American college and 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 originally 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.

Early years
Adams was born in Houston, Texas. He attended Cypress Creek High School in Houston, 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 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.

Professional career
Adams was selected in the first round (eighth overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL Draft, and he played for the Seahawks from 1994 to 1999. 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.

Personal
Adams and his wife Erika have two sons, Sam and Terin, and a daughter, Tea Alexis. His father, Sam Adams Sr., 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". He is still a very popular figure in Seattle; he raised the "12th Man" flag during a 2012 Sunday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers.