Former Auburn star refuses to look back

Receiver Adams' focus on here and now

By: Ed Tait Posted: 3:00 AM CDT Monday, Jun. 1, 2015

Darvin Adams won't allow himself to play the what if? game. A guy's life in this business, after all, is too short to be fixating for too long at what was once in the rear-view mirror.

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Darvin Adams won't allow himself to play the what if? game. A guy's life in this business, after all, is too short to be fixating for too long at what was once in the rear-view mirror.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/06/2015 (3766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Darvin Adams won’t allow himself to play the what if? game. A guy’s life in this business, after all, is too short to be fixating for too long at what was once in the rear-view mirror.

Still, a bit of an Adams refresher is warranted here…

It was less than five years ago — Dec. 4, 2010, to be exact — when the Auburn Tigers star receiver pulled in seven passes from soon-to-be Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton for a SEC Championship Game record 217 yards and two touchdowns in a mammoth win over South Carolina. Just over a month later he was helping the Tigers win the 2011 BCS national championship, capping a calender year in which he was also named the MVP of the Tigers’ 2010 Outback Bowl win.

David Foster / Charlotte Observer Files
Darvin Adams snags a pass at practice in 2011 during his Carolina Panthers days. Also a former Toronto Argonaut, Adams is hoping to make the most of his tryout with the Bombers. The Bombers hope he does, too. — David Foster / Charlotte Observer Files Darvin Adams snags a pass at practice in 2011 during his Carolina Panthers days. Also a former Toronto Argonaut, Adams is hoping to make the most of his tryout with the Bombers. The Bombers hope he does, too.

Newton, it should be pointed out, is now the quarterback of the Carolina Panthers and a two time Pro Bowler. Another Tigers teammate, defensive tackle Nick Fairley, now with the St. Louis Rams, is a millionaire several times over.

And yet here is Adams on the first day of Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp, busting his backside trying to land a gig after his own shot with the Panthers, then the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL, and the last two years seeing spot duty with the Toronto Argonauts.

“I just want to find somewhere where they like me, where they want me, like at Auburn,” said Adams. “But I’ve got to make them want me, because respect is earned. I’m out here to earn it.”

Adams dressed for 11 games over two years with the Argos, starting eight. He has a connection with current Bomber assistant GM Ted Goveia — the former director of player personnel in Toronto — while Demond Washington, who has spent the last three years in Winnipeg, was a teammate in Auburn.

His numbers in Toronto are sparse — 21 catches for 261 yards and two TDs over two seasons — but the Bombers chased him in free agency this winter, liking his potential to be the deep threat the offence covets.

“I saw the atmosphere here last year,” said Adams. “Knowing a few of the guys and the individuals they are, I hope I can add to this team’s athleticism.

“I don’t spend any time wondering about my road to get here. Those were the cards I was dealt. That adversity, the ups and downs, the obstacles, it’s up to me what I make out of it all. I don’t look at it as a negative. I look at every situation and try to make it a positive.

“I mean, you gotta love this. You’ve got to smile while you’re out here and make it fun. That’s the only way to do it.”

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