Gaines Adams

Gaines Adams

Adams in 2006 while at Clemson
No. 90, 93, 99
Defensive end
Personal information
Date of birth: June 8, 1983(1983-06-08)
Place of birth: Greenwood, South Carolina
Date of death: January 17, 2010(2010-01-17) (aged 26)
Place of death: Greenwood, South Carolina
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	Weight: 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
College: Clemson
NFL Draft: 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Debuted in 2007 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last played in 2009 for the Chicago Bears
Career history
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2007–2009) Chicago Bears (2009)
Career highlights and awards
PFW/PFWA All-Rookie Team (2007) Consensus All-American (2006) First-team All-ACC (2006) ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2006)
Career NFL statistics as of 2009
Tackles	93
Sacks	13.5
Interceptions	2
Stats at NFL.com

Gaines Adams (June 8, 1983 – January 17, 2010) was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the early 2000s. He played college football for Clemson University, and was recognized as an All-American. He was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears of the NFL. Adams died unexpectedly in 2010 from a previously undetected heart condition.

Early years

Adams was born in Greenwood, South Carolina. He attended Fork Union Military Academy in 2001 and recorded 58 tackles, 22 sacks, and two interceptions in 10 games. He was a three year starter at Cambridge Academy, a small private school which only had an 8-man football team, where he was a dominant wide receiver and defensive end. His coach during high school was former University of South Carolina quarterback, Steve Taneyhill. In 2000, his team won the state title. During that year, Cambridge shut out four different teams, beating one team 80–0. They had suffered only one loss that season to arch-rival King Academy. He had 158 career receptions for 4,394 yard and 65 touchdowns, as well as 341 tackles, 10 interceptions, and 33 sacks in his career, and was a two-time All-state honoree. He chose Clemson over Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. He had narrowed down his choices to North Carolina and Clemson, then signed with Clemson after the Tar Heels unexpectedly rescinded their offer. At Cambridge, he was named to the Greenwood Touchdown Club/Index-Journal All-Lakelands Team (which included four counties).

College career

Adams was redshirted in 2002.

In 2003, as a redshirt freshman, he did not see much action as the second-team defensive end, only totaling 15 tackles and a sack.

In 2004, he had 35 tackles with 8 sacks, and two blocked punts playing on special teams. For his hard work on special teams, Adams was awarded the 12th Man Award for Clemson's defense. Adams considered coming out for the NFL Draft after his sophomore year, but after the underclassman panel gave him a conservatively low ranking he decided to stay for his junior year.

Adams' 2005 junior year was the year he broke out. Adams totaled 56 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles while starting at boundary defensive end.

For Adams' senior year, 2006, he was slated to be among the best defensive ends in the college football. Adams lived up to his reputation by starting all 12 games, recording 12.5 sacks,causing 2 fumbles and recovering 3. By the end of the 2006 season, Adams recorded a total of 28 career sacks, tying the school record set by Michael Dean Perry (1984–1987). In addition, Adams was named to all five official All-America teams acknowledged by the NCAA in 2006, one of seven unanimous All-Americans that year.

Professional career

Pre-draft

Pre-draft measureables
Ht	Wt	40-yard dash	10-yd split	20-yd split	20 ss	3-cone	Vert	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6-5 *	258 lb *	4.64 *	1.58 *	2.71 *	4.36 *	7.17 *	36 in. **	9'11" **	20 **	7 *

(* represents NFL Combine; **represents Clemson Pro Day)

Bench press: 350 lbs Squat: 465 lbs; Power clean: 345 lbs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Adams was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 4th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He signed a six-year deal with the Buccaneers on July 26, 2007, worth $46 million, with $18.6 million guaranteed. He registered his first solo sack against the Atlanta Falcons in week 11 of the 2007 season.

At the end of the 2007 season Adams had 35 tackles, 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2007, he led all 2007 rookies with his six sacks. This performance gained him a place in the 2007 NFL All-Rookie team. He also played in Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff loss to the New York Giants and finished the game with five tackles and one sack. Against the Colts in Week 5, he blocked a field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri.

In 2008, Adams recorded two sacks against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2. He recorded his first career interception and returned it for his first career touchdown in a Week 3 overtime win over the Chicago Bears. The following week, Adams recorded another interception of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to seal a Buccaneers victory. In Week 8, in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Adams recorded two sacks.

Chicago Bears

On October 19, 2009, Adams was traded to the Chicago Bears for a second-round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft (The pick was traded several times, eventually being used by the New England Patriots to select tight end Rob Gronkowski). In 10 games for the Bears, Adams had 7 combined tackles, 1 pass deflection and 1 forced fumble.

Death

Adams was taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina on the morning of January 17, 2010, after his girlfriend found him at home. He was pronounced dead at 8:21 a.m. ET. The coroner confirmed, after an autopsy, that Adams died of cardiac arrest due to cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart). Neither Adams nor his relatives knew about any kind of medical condition he may have had. At the time of his death, neither drug abuse nor foul play was suspected.

See also

• List of sports people who died during their career

External links

• Clemson Tigers bio
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers bio
• Greenville Online Death Report