# Mike Adams (wide receiver)

Michael (Mike) Christopher Adams (born March 25, 1974) is a former gridiron football wide receiver and return specialist from Grand Prairie (Dalworth) Texas. Adams played high school football for the Sam Houston Texans in Arlington, Texas. He was a 3× first-team all district selection from 1989 to 1991. He was selected as the district 8-5A MVP his senior season that ultimately saw him gather all-state and all-American honors that same season. He attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1992 to 1996. He became a four-year starter for a Texas Longhorn team that won conference championships in 1994, 1995, and 1996. He was voted team MVP as a sophomore in 1993. Adams received UPI honorable mention all-American honors in 1993 and 1995. Upon graduation, Adams held every receiving, kick and punt return, and all purpose yards records at the university. Only Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson have accumulated more yards than Adams. He was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor in October 2021. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1997 and played as a rookie until a knee injury midway through the season ended his season. He later played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2000 and the XFL's San Francisco Demons in 2001. Since his subsequent retirement from football, Adams has been an educator and coach for 17 years in various school districts across the state of Texas. Career highlights include serving as assistant head football coach and head boys track coach from 2013-2015 at Manor High School. Adams also served as an assistant principal at Manor High in 2015. He served as an assistant principal at Canyon High School in New Braunfels, Texas. He continued to coach as well, serving as the passing game coordinator and an assistant track coach for Canyon High Athletics from 2021-2023. During the 2023-2024 school year, Adams coached his final season of football at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Tx. That team was ranked in the top 5 all season in 6A, eventually completing an undefeated regular season record of 10-0. Adams currently serves as an assistant principal and campus athletic liaison at Pflugerville Connally High School in Austin, Tx.

## College career

At the University of Texas, Adams was a three-time All Conference wide receiver. He was a USA Today freshman All-American (1992), the 1993 University of Texas team MVP and first-team All-Southwest Conference player in 1993 and 1995. He was a third-team All-Big 12 Conference player in 1996. Adams graduated as UT's all-time leading receiver in yards and receptions, touchdown receptions, all purpose yards leader, and set several other school records including the record for consecutive games with a reception, career 100-yard receiving games, and career kickoff and punt return yards. He averaged 17.2 yards per touch during his time on campus. Only Ricky Williams and Cedric Benson have more all purpose yards than Adams.

## Professional career

Pre-draft measurables :
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump |
| 5 ft 11+3⁄8 in (1.81 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) | 9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) | 4.59 s | 1.58 s | 2.68 s | 4.38 s | 7.51 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) |
Adams was drafted in the seventh round of the 1997 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 223rd overall pick. He played for one season, seeing action in his first six games as a rookie until he suffered a season ending and ultimately career ending knee injury against the Indianapolis Colts on TNT Sunday night football in which he recorded a season high 5 kickoff returns for 123 yards. He recorded one career reception for 39 yards against the Tennessee Titans.
The BC Lions signed Adams for the 2000 season, and he played in eight regular season games. He caught 23 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions went on to win the Grey Cup that season, but Adams did not play in that game due to being drafted by the startup XFL. As a result, his name is not on the Grey Cup plaque.
Although he was drafted by the San Francisco Demons in the 10th Round of the 2001 XFL Draft 75 player overall; he never played for the team due to re-injuring the same knee injured with the Steelers.

## Later life

Adams went back to school and earned a bachelor's degree in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas in 2009. He then earned a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University in 2011. He became a teacher, coach and school administrator in Central Texas.