Joe Adams (wide receiver)
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1989)}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Joe Adams
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team =
| number = 15
| position = Wide receiver, kickoff returner
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|11|22|mf=y}}
| birth_place = Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lbs = 190
| high_school = Central Arkansas Christian {{nowrap|(North Little Rock, Arkansas)}}
| college = Arkansas
| draftyear = 2012
| draftround = 4
| draftpick = 104
| pastteams =
- Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|2012}})
- Edmonton Eskimos ({{CFL Year|2014}})*
- Houston Texans ({{NFL Year|2014}})*
- BC Lions ({{NFL Year|2014}})*
- Texas Revolution ({{CIF Year|2016}}–{{CIF Year|2019}})
| status =
| highlights =
- Consensus All-American (2011)
- SEC Special Teams Player of the Year (2011)
- First-team All-SEC (2011)
- Second-team All-SEC (2009)
- Jet Award (2011)
- CIF champion (2017)
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 1
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 7
| statlabel3 = Return yards
| statvalue3 = 335
| statlabel4 = Total touchdowns
| statvalue4 =
| pfr = AdamJo01
}}
Joe Adams (born November 22, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, earning consensus All-American honors in 2011. He was selected by the Panthers in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft.
Early life
Adams was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Encouraged by his mother Charlotte Allmon, he finished his secondary education at Central Arkansas Christian High School in North Little Rock, Arkansas.{{Cite news |last=Higbee |first=Zack |url=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=1514863 |title=#3 Joe Adams |date=July 20, 2011 |work=Arkansas Football |access-date=January 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429171210/http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=1514863 |archive-date=April 29, 2014 |publisher=University of Arkansas Athletics}}
College career
Adams attended the University of Arkansas, where he played for the Razorbacks from 2008 to 2011. Initially, the four-star receiver had verbally committed to play for the USC Trojans, but switched to Arkansas after Bobby Petrino was hired in December 2007. Adams was a three-year starter at wide receiver, and a four-year starter as Arkansas' main punt returner. As a senior in 2011, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-SEC player, as well as a consensus first-team All-American, after being named to the first-teams of ESPN, the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Pro Football Weekly, Scout.com, and Sporting News.{{Cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/college-football/feature/video/_/id/7324158/2011-all-america-team |title=ESPN.com's 2011 All-America Team - ESPN |website=ESPN.com |access-date=April 3, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/news/2011/allamerica111210.html |title=2011 FWAA All-America Team |website=www.sportswriters.net |access-date=April 3, 2020}}{{Cite web |url=http://collegefootball.scout.com/2/1136379.html |title=FoxSportsNext.com 2011 All-America Team |website=Scout.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107212345/http://collegefootball.scout.com/2/1136379.html |archive-date=January 7, 2012 |access-date=December 10, 2011}}[http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=205347345 Adams is consensus All-American]
Adams was also the recipient of the inaugural Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers Return Specialist Award (Jet Award) in 2011, recognizing the best return specialist in all of college football. Adams returned 19 punts for 321 yards (16.9 yards per return) and 4 touchdowns (tops in the nation) in the 2011 season, helping the Razorbacks to an 11-2 record, and a victory over Kansas State in the 2012 Cotton Bowl. Adams also returned a punt 51 yards for a touchdown in the bowl game, the first punt returned for a score since former Arkansas player Lance Alworth returned one in the 1961 Cotton Bowl. But Adams' most electrifying punt return came against the Tennessee Volunteers on November 12, 2011, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Joe caught the punt on the Razorback forty yard line, reversed his field numerous times, slipped seven tackle attempts, and wove his way through the Vols defenders for a sixty-yard return and six points.{{cite web | title=Video: Arkansas' Joe Adams Avoids Entire Tennessee Team on Amazing Punt Return | website=Larry Brown Sports | date=2011-11-14 | url=https://larrybrownsports.com/college-football/video-arkansas-joe-adams-punt-return-tennessee/98464 | access-date=2025-01-04}} Arkansas won the game, 49–7. It is considered the most electrifying punt return in college football history.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 5
| height in = 10 5/8
| weight = 179
| dash = 4.46
| ten split = 1.51
| twenty split = 2.58
| shuttle = 4.18
| cone drill = 7.09
| vertical = 38.0
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 3
| bench = 7
| arm span = 31 7/8
| hand span = 9 3/8
| note = Sources:{{Cite web |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/joe-adams/32004144-4140-4040-3434-af46e7ac2a54 |title=Joe Adams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |website=NFL.com |access-date=June 29, 2023}}{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=81713&DraftYear=2012 |title=2012 NFL Draft Scout Joe Adams College Football Profile |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
The Carolina Panthers selected Adams in the fourth round, 104th overall pick, of the 2012 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=2012 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2012/draft.htm |access-date=May 14, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He returned kicks in the first three games of the 2012 season before being benched after losing two fumbles in a game against the New York Giants.{{Cite web |title=Joe Adams 2012 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/AdamJo01/gamelog/2012/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} On August 27, he was waived.{{Cite web |url=http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2013/aug/27/panthers-waive-former-hog-adams-place-rb-jonathan-/ |title=wholehogsports.com |website=wholehogsports.com |access-date=August 27, 2013}}
Adams signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League in 2014, but was released before the season.
The Houston Texans signed Adams on August 1, 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2014/08/texans-sign-wr-joe-adams-ot-brice-schwab/ |title=Texans sign WR Joe Adams, OT Brice Schwab |last=McClain |first=John |last2=AM |first2=2014 at 8:33 |date=August 1, 2014 |website=Ultimate Texans |language=en-US |access-date=April 3, 2020}} The Texans released Adams on August 25, 2014.{{Cite web |url=http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-trim-roster-on-Monday/3aa5f4e6-85fd-4fe9-ae49-7b6bdf19b57b |title=Texans trim roster on Monday |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235544/http://www.houstontexans.com/news/article-2/Texans-trim-roster-on-Monday/3aa5f4e6-85fd-4fe9-ae49-7b6bdf19b57b |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=August 26, 2014}}
Adams was signed to the BC Lions' practice roster on October 20, 2014. He was released by the Lions on October 31, 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cfl.ca/page/transactions |title=Transactions |publisher=cfl.ca |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150730141511/http://www.cfl.ca/page/transactions |archive-date=July 30, 2015 |access-date=November 20, 2014}}
On April 7, 2016, Adams signed with the Texas Revolution of Allen, Texas, a founding member of Champions Indoor Football, an indoor American football league. Adams re-signed with the Revolution on January 5, 2017.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Football stats |nfl=Joe-Adams|espn=14917 |pfr=A/AdamJo01}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140429171210/http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=6100&ATCLID=1514863 Arkansas Razorbacks bio]
{{Johnny Rodgers Award|state=autocollapse}}
{{2011 NCAA Division I FBS College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Southeastern Conference Football Player of the Year navbox}}
{{Carolina Panthers 2012 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Joe}}
Category:Players of American football from Little Rock, Arkansas
Category:All-American college football players
Category:American football return specialists
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:American members of the Churches of Christ
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks football players
Category:Carolina Panthers players
Category:Edmonton Elks players
Category:Houston Texans players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
Category:Texas Revolution players