Tag: George Adams

33 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 33 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 33 jersey number

The New England Patriots are 33 days away from kick-starting their regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. So we’re continuing our countdown series by listing every Patriots player that has ever worn the No. 33 jersey.

There have been a slew of talented players that have worn the No. 33 for the Patriots, including Dion Lewis, Leon Washington, Sam Gash, Tony Collins and Reggie Rucker.

Yet, when it comes to the Patriots, the most notable player to every wear that number throughout franchise history is former legendary running back Kevin Faulk. After being drafted out of LSU with a second-round pick, Faulk spent all 13 seasons of his NFL career playing in New England.

He left an indelible mark on the organization and its fan base with his contributions. That effort has earned him three Super Bowl titles, a New England Patriots Hall of Fame induction and being named to the All-Dynasty Team.

Let’s take a look at every player that has ever worn the No. 33 for the Patriots (via Pro Football Reference).

Giants’ Phil Simms has record-setting day wasted vs. Bengals in 1985

New York Giants QB Phil Simms set some still-standing franchise records against the Cincinnati Bengals in 1985, but lost the game.

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In 1985, the New York Giants were one of the NFL’s best teams, amending from the doldrums of nearly two decades of losing seasons. Under the stewardship of general manager George Young and head coach Bill Parcells, the Giants were coming off a playoff appearance the year before that saw them lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

The Giants got off to a 3-2 start in ’85 and headed to Cincinnati to play the 1-4 Bengals at Riverfront Stadium. The Bengals were in their second season under head coach Sam Wyche and featured Boomer Esiason at quarterback, who took the reins that season from aging legend One Anderson.

The Giants, two-point favorites in the game, got behind, 21-0, in the first half but rallied back late in the third quarter to narrow the game to 21-20 only to see the Bengals pull away again. The Giants’ fourth quarter rally fell short and they lost, 35-30.

“It was a hot, steamy day in Cincy, I remember that,” Simms told Giants.com. “My uniform was a different color when the game was over because the heat, the turf, whatever. We threw it because we got behind. I threw two picks, if I remember. But physically, it was probably one of my top two or three games ever throwing the ball. We just made so many good throws and catches in the game, it was ridiculous. But we never could get into the end zone.”

The Giants actually dominated the game. They outgained Cincinnati by a mile (470 yards to 199) and finished with more than twice as many first downs (34-16) while outscoring them in the second half by 13 points.

Simms was as hot as he’d ever been in his 15-year career with the Giants, completing 40 of 62 passes for 513 yards, which to this day remains the franchise’s single-game record. But it wasn’t a very clean game by the Giants. Simms was sacked seven times for 70 yards and lost a fumble. Rookie running back George Adams also lost a fumble.

“I don’t remember the sacks being a big part of why we couldn’t get it done,” Simms said. “It was just one of those days where the turnovers, I don’t know what else, maybe the sacks, but we moved the ball, of course, with 500 yards, we moved it well. That’s what I remember.”

By comparison, Esiason was just 15 of 24 passing for 193 yards but threw three touchdowns.

The game was memorable for other reasons. We often see Boomer and Simms together on television either discussing football in the studio or paring up for an advertisement, but this was the first of two meetings between the blonde signal callers — both classic games.

The second game came in 1991 (also at Riverfront) when the 7-5 Giants faced off against the 1-11 Bengals. Simms had another fine outing (26 for 44, 293 yards, three touchdown) but lost, 27-24, after leading 17-7 in the third quarter. Esiason wasn’t a world beater in this game, either, completing 17 of 30 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown.

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Jamal Adams knows importance of security after dad’s career ended prematurely

Jamal Adams wants a long-term deal now, likely because his fathers’ career was shortened by a devastating injury.

NFL careers are incredibly fragile. One false step can completely derail a player’s once-promising potential.

No one knows that fragility better than Jets’ safety Jamal Adams, whose father, George Adams, missed out on a long career in the NFL after a suffering a devastating hip injury a year after the Giants drafted him 19th overall in 1985. Now, as the younger Adams seeks a contract extension after three successful seasons with the Jets, his father’s career could serve as a cautionary tale in his personal quest to secure his future.

The elder Adams looked destined for a prominent role on the Giants after he finished his rookie season with 887 total yards and four touchdowns. But before the 1986 season, Adams suffered a gruesome hip injury in practice. The femur ball in his hip was ripped from the socket and he missed the entire year. It was a similar injury to the one that ended Bo Jackson’s career in 1991. Adams played five more seasons in the NFL  – three with the Giants and two with the Patriots – but endured endless amounts of pain and never rose to the level he’d hoped to as a first-round pick. He only tallied 1,013 total yards and three total touchdowns in the final four years of his career.

Now, George Adams walks with a cane and his left leg is three inches shorter than his right, according to The Advocate. Not only did his career never live up to its potential, but now the elder Adams can not walk, run or exercise like he did before the injury. The younger Adams, who was born four years after his father left the NFL, has seen the effects of football directly and now has an opportunity to ensure his financial security before the toll of a violent game affects him.

Though only 16 first-round picks since 2011 earned a new contract before their fourth season, Adams believes his two Pro Bowls in three seasons and leadership on the Jets defense should be enough to set a new precedent. The Jets disagree, though, and appear unwilling to sign Adams until after the 2020 season.

Adams doesn’t want to wait for his extension and he’s reportedly expressed a desire to be traded if the Jets don’t give him a new contract sooner rather than later. Some will call this selfish – not thinking about the needs of the team first – but for Adams, it’s personal. His dad’s entire career was defined by an injury that was out of his control and his financial future never materialized.

The relationship between the Jets and Adams is rocky, complicated and full of emotion right now. Adams has multiple reasons for wanting to be paid right away, but it’s the Jets who hold all the cards in the young safety’s future.