‘Thievery’ on field creates film star

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/06/2015 (4078 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mention the term to Johnny Adams, and a sly grin instantly forms on the face of the would-be Winnipeg Blue Bomber.

He’s been called a “rep stealer.” And following Day 5 of Bomber camp on Thursday, head coach Mike O’Shea referenced his ‘thievery,’ uttering the term with respect and appreciation — the way one safecracker might mention the work of another rival.

Before we press on, a explanation: what Adams is doing on the football field — essentially jumping the line to get more turns in defensive drills — is by no means criminal. Far from it, in fact. It was first spotted back in April when the Bombers held their free agent camp in Florida, and it’s still working to help him catch the attention of the team’s brass.

And now that camp is underway and the sessions are being filmed, the club actually has the cold, hard evidence of Adams’ work.

“I love it. Love it,” said O’Shea. “You’re here to make an impression and you have a short time to do it. So, you need to make plays and you need to do it often. How do you do that? You do it by increasing your reps and by taking more calculated risks.

“As you’re watching film, you see the one-on-ones and you see 10 of them and he shows up again and again. You realize that you’ve got 15 or 16 DBs (defensive backs) and he’s taking four reps in the first 10… there’s some guys standing around not paying attention as he jumps in there. We’ve slowed it down a little bit for him because we wanted to see other people, too.”

Now, there’s a reason for this aggressive approach Adam is taking on the field. His thieving reps isn’t simply a way to pop out on film — after all, there’s a risk he could stand out for all the wrong reasons, too — it’s also the work of a man desperate to find a football home.

And, in many ways, it’s fuelled by the former Michigan State star having chased one opportunity after another all over the NFL trying to find employment.

“I’ve bounced around, from Houston to Buffalo to Indianapolis to Oakland… I’ve bounced around to a couple of teams,” admitted Adams. “But I’m here now. I’m blessed. I’m excited to play. You’ve got to come out here and compete. And so how do you set yourself apart?”

A high school star in Akron, Ohio, Adams parlayed that success into a scholarship at MSU where he not only started 39 games, but earned a sociology degree. Undrafted, he turned pro with the Houston Texans. And it’s there where the roadblocks started popping up in front of him.

Released by the Texans — it was the first time he’d ever been cut — Adams then suffered the same fate at each of his NFL stints. But he didn’t let it sour him on the game.

“It hurt, but I built from that. I learned from that,” Adams said. “It wasn’t doubt that set in, it was ‘What do I have to do to keep competing?’ I have to work on my technique, I have to study harder, I have to do more, more, more. I needed to figure out what I needed to do to stick somewhere.

‘I’m a glass-is-half-full kinda guy. I’m out here playing, making plays and trying to compete. That’s what I love about the game of football’

— Johnny Adams

“I’m a glass-is-half-full kinda guy. I’m out here playing, making plays and trying to compete. That’s what I love about the game of football.”

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Adams isn’t the only defensive back jumping out at camp. O’Shea indicated both Adams and Shaq Richardson are battling, and next Tuesday’s exhibition game in Toronto against the Argonauts will be critical in determining who stays. The Bombers secondary, it could be said, was the most consistent and stable unit on the entire depth chart last season. The job opportunities are slim and will be hotly contested.

In the meantime, Adams — in between film study and sticking his nose back into his playbook — did plan to call the one person who serves as his emotional rock, someone he chats to every day.

“I call my mom (Gwen Simpson) every day,” said Adams. “She inspired me to keep pushing and that’s the mentality I have in everything. My mom always told me, ‘If it doesn’t work the first time, go back a second and keep pushing forward because no matter what happens, you’ve got to live with what you do.’

“Well, my dream is to play football. This is my dream. So, if you let somebody kill your dream it will haunt you, no matter what. I’m doing everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait