Tony Adams (born January 24, 1999) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

safety for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

of the National Football League (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 Illinois and was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent in .

College career

Adams played at Illinois from 2017 to 2021. On October 26, 2019, against

Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

, he had a 13-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Professional career

Adams signed with the

on April 30, 2022, following the

2022 NFL draft The 2022 NFL Draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual draft and was held from April 28–30, 2022, at the Caesars Forum on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The first round was held on Thursday, April 28, and w ...

. He made the Jets' 53 man roster following roster cuts. As a rookie, he appeared in 11 games and made one start, which came in Week 18 against the Miami Dolphins. On October 15, 2023, in the Jets’ Week 6 game versus the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, Adams intercepted Jalen Hurts with 2 minutes left in the game and returned it 45 yards to the Eagles’ 8 yard line. The Jets scored a touchdown one play later and won the game, 20–14. This was the first win by the Jets against the Eagles. In a November 19, 2023, game against the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

, Adams suffered a left hand injury in the first quarter and did not return to the game. In the 2023 season, he appeared in and started 15 games. He finished with 82 total tackles (54 solo), three interceptions, and five passes defended.

References

External links

New York Jets bioIllinois Fighting Illini bio
New York Jets players American football safeties 1999 births Living people Sportspeople from Belleville, Illinois Players of American football from St. Clair County, Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini football players {{defensiveback-1990s-stub