Andrew Adams (born October 28, 1992) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
for the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
.
College career
Adams started 33 games throughout his college tenure including all 12 in 2014 and all 13 in 2015. He was one of four captains his senior year with the Huskies. He led the Huskies with 103 tackles, as well as adding three interceptions and seven passes defended in his final season as a Husky.
Professional career
New York Giants
2016
On May 1, 2016, the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
signed Adams to a three-year,
$1.62 million contract as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.
file:Andrew Adams (American football).JPG, left, 200px, Adams playing for the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in 2017.
On September 3, 2016, the New York Giants waived Adams as part of their final roster cuts, but signed him to their practice squad the following day. On September 23, 2016, Adams was promoted from practice squad to the active roster. On September 25, 2016, Adams made one tackle during a 29–27 loss against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in Week 3. On October 3, 2016, Adams earned his first career start after starting free safety
Darian Thompson
Darian Thompson (born September 22, 1993) is a former American football safety who is currently an assistant linebackers coach and quality control coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Boise State University, and was selecte ...
suffered a foot injury and backup
Nat Berhe
Natnael Sabhato Berhe (born July 6, 1991) is a former American football free safety. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at San Diego State.
Early years
Berhe was born in F ...
was inactive due to a concussion. He finished the Giants’ 24–10 loss at the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
with six combined tackles and one pass deflection. On November 6, 2016, Adams collected a season-high nine combined tackles, deflected two passes, and made his first career interception during a 28–23 win against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in Week 9. Adams intercepted a pass by Eagles’ quarterback
Carson Wentz
Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Wentz played college football at North Dakota State, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS nat ...
, that was initially intended for wide receiver
Dorial Green-Beckham
Dorial Isaiah Green-Beckham (born April 12, 1993) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft and played college football at Missouri until he was dismissed fro ...
, and returned it for a 19-yard gain in the first quarter. He finished his rookie season in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
with 46 combined tackles (31 solo), five pass deflections, and one interception in 14 games and 13 starts.
He received an overall grade of 79.4 from
Pro Football Focus
Pro Football Focus (also written as ProFootballFocus, and often referred to by its initials, PFF) is a sports analytics company that focuses on thorough analysis of the National Football League (NFL) and NCAA Division-I football in the United Sta ...
, which was the second best grade among rookie safeties in 2016 behind
Keanu Neal
Keanu Neal (born July 26, 1995) is an American football safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 17th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college footb ...
(80.8).
2017
During training camp, Adams competed to be a starting free safety against
Darian Thompson
Darian Thompson (born September 22, 1993) is a former American football safety who is currently an assistant linebackers coach and quality control coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Boise State University, and was selecte ...
. Head coach
Ben McAdoo
Benjamin Lee McAdoo (born July 9, 1977) is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as a consultant for the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 and quarte ...
named Adams the backup free safety, behind Darian Thompson, to start the regular season. In Week 17, he collected a season-high seven solo tackles and deflected a pass during a 18–10 win against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. On December 4, 2017, the New York Giants fired head coach Ben McAdoo after they fell to a 2–10 record. He finished the
2017 NFL season with 34 solo tackles and two pass deflections in 16 games and four starts.
2018
During training camp, Adams competed against Darian Thompson to be the starting free safety.
On September 1, 2018, the New York Giants officially waived Adams.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On September 26, 2018, the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
signed Adams after placing
Chris Conte
Christopher Michael Conte (born February 23, 1989) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.
Early life
Conte attended Loy ...
on injured reserve. Head coach
Dirk Koetter
Dirk Jeffrey Koetter ( ; born February 5, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently serving as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football Lea ...
named Adams the backup free safety behind
Jordan Whitehead
Jordan Tyler Whitehead (born March 18, 1997) is an American football safety for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh.
Early years
Whitehead attended Central Valley High School in M ...
. On December 2, 2018, Adams made one tackle, three pass deflections, and made a career-high three interceptions during a 24–17 victory against the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. In Week 15, Adams collected a season-high seven combined tackles and deflected a pass as the Buccaneers lost 27–20 at the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He finished the season with 38 combined tackles (29 solo), nine pass deflections, and four interceptions in 13 games and four starts.
Detroit Lions
On March 14, 2019, Adams signed a one-year contract with the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. He was released during final roster cuts on August 30, 2019.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (second stint)
![Andrew Adams](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Andrew_Adams.png)
On September 10, 2019, Adams was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In Week 8 against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, Adams forced a fumble on
Derrick Henry
Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). His imposing rushing game and larger stature than the average running back earned him the nickna ...
which was recovered by teammate
Vernon Hargreaves
Vernon Hargreaves III (born June 3, 1995) is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was drafted 11th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Early years
Hargr ...
in the 27–23 loss.
In Week 15 against his former team, the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, Adams recorded his first interception of the season off rookie quarterback
David Blough
David Marshall Blough (born July 31, 1995) is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was Purdue's backup quarterback in 2015 and led the Boilermakers to a win against Nebraska. As a r ...
during the 38–17 win. Overall, in the 2019 season, Adams recorded 45 total tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and three passes defensed in 14 games.
On March 24, 2020, Adams was re-signed to a one-year, $1 million contract. Adams played in all four games in the Buccaneers' playoff run that resulted in the team winning
Super Bowl LV.
Philadelphia Eagles
On March 18, 2021, Adams signed a one-year contract with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. He was waived on August 31.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (third stint)
On September 2, 2021, Adams rejoined the Buccaneers as a member of their practice squad and was signed to the active roster on September 13. He was hit on his helmet by his Coach
Bruce Arians
Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the he ...
after their 31 - 15 playoff win. He was trying to pull a player out of a scrum, Bruce later said, "No, I've seen enough dumb (things). You can't pull guys out of a pile. We just got a big play, great field position, and he's trying to pull a guy out of a pile."
New York Giants (second stint)
On July 26, 2022, the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
signed Adams. On August 26, 2022, he was released.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On September 5, 2022, Adams was signed to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
practice squad.
Tennessee Titans
On September 21, 2022, Adams was signed by the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
off the Steelers practice squad. Adams returned an interception from quarterback
Matt Ryan for his first career defensive touchdown in a 19-10 Week 7 win over the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
.
NFL statistics
Buccaneers franchise records
*Most interceptions in a game – 3 (tied with
Ronde Barber
Jamael Orondé "Rondé" Barber (born April 7, 1975) is an American former football cornerback who spent his entire 16-year professional career playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He is the identical twin ...
and
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib (born February 13, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first ro ...
) (December 2, 2018 vs Carolina Panthers)
Personal life
Adams is the nephew of retired guard,
Sam Adams Sr. and cousins with his son, former defensive tackle
Sam Adams
Samuel Adams ( – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and ...
.
He is also the cousin of retired running back,
Matt Forte
Matthew Garrett Forte (born December 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave and was drafted ...
.
Adams' brother-in-law is linebacker
Alec Ogletree
Alec Ogletree (born September 25, 1991) is an American football inside linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the University of Georgia and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He ha ...
.
References
External links
Tampa Bay Buccaneers bioNew York Giants bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Andrew
1992 births
Living people
People from Fayetteville, Georgia
Sportspeople from the Atlanta metropolitan area
Players of American football from Georgia (U.S. state)
American football safeties
Woodward Academy alumni
UConn Huskies football players
New York Giants players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Detroit Lions players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Pittsburgh Steelers players
Tennessee Titans players