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Adams continues to develop

By: Ward Gossett
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There are certain types of players that quarterbacks learn to despise, but those they loathed as quarterbacks they quickly learn to love as coaches.

Kevin Adams is one of those.

“When I was playing, I hated to see guys like him,” Ooltewah coach Benny Monroe said of his 6-foot-4 defensive end. “You’d try to throw a pass out in the flat and here they come, swatting it away with one of those big mitts.”

About the only things Monroe doesn’t like about Adams are his weight and the fact that he is a 16-year-old senior.

“Kevin is physically not developed to where he’s going to be. He’s in the infant stage, but he has really been a pleasant surprise,” Monroe said. “As a college prospect, he has the frame, and if somebody signs him on potential, they’ll be getting a steal. He has the character and the work ethic.”

Adams has moved from rotation player as a junior to a starter opposite Jacques Smith, a junior being touted as Southeastern Conference caliber.

“Kevin reminds me of the type defensive end that Coach (Boots) Donnelly used to recruit from South Georgia for MTSU,” Owls defensive coordinator Doug Greene said. “They were tall and skinny, but he’d get them eating four meals a day and working out, and they’d wind up leaving there weighing 265 pounds.

“When you look at him — the baby face, the broad shoulders and big frame — he’s going to be a steal for somebody.”

Rushing the passer is Adams’ strength and passion.

“I said last spring that he had to be on the field this fall, and Coach (Richard) Henderson really worked hard with him,” Greene said. “Kevin responded and was one of our most improved players. He came to work every day, and he is by far our best pass rusher.

“He and Jacquez have a nice chemistry. They understand if each does a good job then he will likely flush the quarterback into the other one, and neither one of them is selfish.”

Adams said he wants a state championship above all else but admitted he has “thought a lot about” a Division I scholarship. He didn’t begin playing football until the eighth grade, when his family moved to Chattanooga from Oklahoma.

He said he learned from a 2007 season that fell short of the Owls’ potential, capped by a 35-0 loss to Bearden in the first round of the state playoffs.

“I have worked hard. I’m more determined,” Adams said. “I want us to have a better season than last year. I was disappointed. I think we all were. Our record should have been better. We could have done better in the playoffs.

“Everybody this year knows everybody else, and everybody wants to win a state title, and we know that everybody has to be on the same page to do that. I’m trying to be a leader on the field and do my part in being dedicated to this team.”

The Ooltewah coaches have seen that mindset converted into action.

“I’m so proud of Kevin,” Greene said. “He worked this summer to make some money for camps, his spirit pack and some school clothes and to pay his NCAA Clearinghouse fee ($50). He has become a team player.

“One of the things I like about him is that he gets excited for his teammates, and he exhibits that enthusiasm. If somebody makes a big play, he’s going to be among the first to pat them on the back. He understands, too, that team success brings more attention to individuals. Last year we sent out 125 tapes (to colleges). The kids know they have to play, but they also know the more success the team has, the more exposure they’re going to get.”

So far, the schools showing the most interest in Adams are Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky and MTSU. Monroe and Greene fully expect the list to grow as the season progresses.

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