Super Turnaround

[dargonking999]

By MICKEY SPAGNOLA
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
Feb. 2, 2004, 6:29 p.m. (CST)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Funny the twists and turns this life of ours can take. One minute you're out of a job, the next you are the of the walk.

Please meet Keith Adams. You might remember him. He played for the Cowboys. Actually started five games for the Dallas Cowboys during that 2002 season. And 12 days after recording a then career-high nine tackles in his fourth NFL start, he was released - out of a job.

Sunday, depending on what kind of personnel the New England Patriots open up with, he could be starting for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Go figure.

"But if I was not released by the Cowboys, I would not be here playing in the Super Bowl," said Adams grinning widely, displaying his trademark gap between his two front teeth.

Silly Cowboys - on their way to another 5-11 season - cutting a linebacker another team figures is good enough to possibly start in the Super Bowl.

But, as strange as this all sounds, let's be honest. There were circumstances. Yeah, Adams did start Games 2-6 in that 2002 season after Dat Nguyen broke his wrist in the opener against Houston. He did have 27 tackles - two for losses - and four more special teams tackles in the first six games of that season.

Here was the deal, though. First off, Adams had never played middle linebacker before. He was a weak-side guy at Clemson. He was a weak-side guy when Tennessee drafted him in the seventh round of the 2001 draft. And he was a weak-side guy when the Cowboys signed the street free agent to the practice squad on Nov. 8 of his rookie season.

He also was a 5-11 guy - maybe - trying to play linebacker in the NFL. No surprise, Mike Singletary was his guy growing up.

The Cowboys, you see, saw a speedy bundle of energy when they signed him in 2001 and then promoted him to the 53-man roster at the end of the season to play special teams. That's what he was supposed to be in 2002, a special teams guy who could help at linebacker in a pinch.

But the Nguyen injury left them in a lurch. They didn't really have a legitimate backup in the middle. Now they thought 2001 fourth-round pick Markus Steele would be capable of doing it. And maybe he was physically, but certainly wasn't ready mentally for the move from the strong side to the middle at the spur of the moment.

So Adams bought them some time to work with the bigger, more physical Steele. And when they thought he was ready to take over in the middle, another problem developed. The offensive line became decimated by injuries, and out of necessity, the Cowboys needed to clear a roster spot to make room for guard Jeremy McKinney.

They took a calculated gamble. Since Steele was ready to step in the middle and Adams would revert back to no more than a special teams player - and probably banking on few teams in the league trolling for short linebackers - the Cowboys released Adams with the intention of placing him back on the practice squad.

"A business decision on their part," Adams says. "I thought I was doing a good job. People who have been there told me later they felt I was doing a good job; told me they wished it hadn't happened that way."

That was later. But then, at the time, the little guy was rather devastated.

"I definitely was shocked, sad, upset - all those emotions," Adams said. "You go from starting and playing pretty well to getting released."

Well, Adams didn't have to wallow in self-pity for long. The Eagles had played the Cowboys nearly four weeks earlier. He had five tackles in that game, and had made an impression on the Eagles.

The Eagles had him tagged on their personnel board, and immediately put in a waiver claim on Adams.

"I remember the day we claimed him," said Eagles linebackers coach Joe Spagnuolo. "We put in a Dallas film, and immediately wondered why Dallas released him."

The Eagles, at the time, saw him as no more than a special teams player. He played in the final 10 games that season, recording 14 special teams tackles, which when combined with the four from the Cowboys, gave him a respectable total of 18 for the season. That bought him another year, at least.

Adams capitalized. He recorded a team-leading 30 special teams tackles in 2003. That's really uptown.

"He was just really good at defeating the blockers and tackling," Spagnuolo said. "He's an intense, relentless guy, and his size doesn't seem to hurt him at all."

Injuries gave Adams the opportunity to start the 2004 season opener - his first for the Eagles. He responded with six tackles against the Giants. He would get his second start, ironically, against the Cowboys on Dec. 19 at The Linc. Had three more tackles.

And while he did not start the season finale two weeks later against Cincinnati, he really turned some heads with a career-high 13-tackle game.

So with the Eagles still beset by injuries, and Adams playing so well, he managed to start in the Eagles' two playoff games, and get this, finished with seven tackles in the NFC title game against Atlanta.

Super Bowl, here come the Eagles - and Adams, creating the fifth father-son combination to play in a Super Bowl. His dad, the much bigger Julius Adams, a defensive end, played in Super Bowl XX for, uh, the Patriots, who were roundly beaten by the Chicago Bears in New Orleans.

And he arrived here now known as "The Bullet" for his ability to negotiate special teams traffic to make tackles. Also for having to bring extra sets of contacts to games since he regularly loses them, his jarring tackles knocking them loose - a one-contacter or two, and those are the really big ones.

But mostly for having earned that starting designation, Spagnuolo dismissing Adams is starting out of necessity. He has earned it, rising above playing on just certain nickel alignments and special teams.

That's coming a long, long ways since Oct. 18 when the Cowboys bid him adieu. When he didn't have a job for 24 hours. When he was disillusioned by the NFL.

"Who thought I'd start in the Super Bowl after all I've been through?" Adams said.

Not many, and probably none in Dallas.

MICK SHOTS
On the eve of Emmitt Smith's expected retirement announcement here Thursday, Kansas City running back Priest Holmes, winner of the Snickers Hungriest Player of the Year Award, was asked what he admired most about the Cowboys' former running back: "He won championships and played on championship teams." Word is Smith's announcement will follow Thursday's annual NFLPA press conference in the late afternoon.
Here is possibly why Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells has not totally announced his final coaching staff, and maybe too why he has hired Paul Pasqualoni, sort of stock piling assistants: Word is that if Romeo Crennel gets the Cleveland head coaching job, he will try to hire Maurice Carthon as his offensive coordinator. Now since he has the same title with the Cowboys, Parcells and owner Jerry Jones would have to OK that lateral move.
If you ever wondered why Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb were such successful quarterbacks, all you had to do was see how they handled themselves here on Wednesday during their press conferences with the Super Bowl media. These guys were impressive - real impressive - leaving little doubt why they have the attention of their teammates. Character does mean something.
Almost forgot until I saw him Tuesday night during the Super bowl Media Party at Sawgrass that Alfredo Roberts is with the Jaguars coaching tight ends. By the way, we all got one shot at the famed 17th island green. My duck-snort contributed to the pond collection.
Did you realize Philly defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was a quarterback in college (Missouri) and played two years of tight end with Buffalo, and didn't start coaching defense until 1969 as the coordinator at Drake? Says he likes how teams playing a 3-4 defense can create pressure on quarterbacks with their outside linebackers, but doesn't necessarily think there is a distinct advantage to playing a 3-4.
Speaking of the 3-4, something the Cowboys are considering switching to, when Pats coach Bill Belichick was recalling his linebackers with the Giants, maybe that is why Parcells thinks this alignment might solve the team's problems. The Giants were starting Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson and Harry Carson. Don't think a current Cowboys quartet comes close to matching those guys.

[big dog cowboy]

Originally Posted by dargonking999

"I remember the day we claimed him," said Eagles linebackers coach Joe Spagnuolo. "We put in a Dallas film, and immediately wondered why Dallas released him."

Many other people wonder the same thing.

[Fletch]

Yeah, Mickey has me gushing with envy over Keith Adams.

[Waffle]

Originally Posted by Fletch

Yeah, Mickey has me gushing with envy over Keith Adams.

LOL Fletch! I was waiting for Mickey to write "but if Adams was really any good, why didn't Dallas want him anymore?"

[joseephuss]

I think many in the GROZ movement don't care about Adams. They say no to midget linebackers.

[djmajestik]

How does one become the

of the walk.

[Eddie]

Good luck to Adams. He deserves. I like hearing about underdog stories like his.

His gain is our loss. We'll be looking for LB's and he'll be playing in the Super Bowl. Interesting ..

[Sarge]

Nice job Bill.

[Hollywood Henderson]

Wow the Giants LBers were VERY impressive, no wonder Parcells is sick of tiny LBers...

[dewey]

Actually started five games for the Dallas Cowboys during that 2002 season. And 12 days after recording a then career-high nine tackles in his fourth NFL start, he was released - out of a job.

Um Sarge, wasn't 2003 Bill's first season. Adams was let go the year before, so...nice job Dave. Or my comprehension skills continue to fail me....again.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by dewey

Um Sarge, wasn't 2003 Bill's first season. Adams was let go the year before, so...nice job Dave.

It was still Bills fault.

[dewey]

It was still Bills fault

Oh, okay.

[Kittymama]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Nice job Bill.

I knew when I read this on DC.com that SOMEONE here would manage to make it Parcells' fault--even tho Adams was released in 2002 & BP didn't start until 2003.

Is he responsible for hair loss & bad breath yet, or do we continue to blame that on Bush & evilgeniusRove?

[LA=Pancakemaker]

By MICKEY SPAGNOLA
DallasCowboys.com Columnist

And this guy knows football talent, give me a break the only thing Spags knows is how to spew manootia