Green Bay Packers 2017 Draft: Interview with Western Michigan defensive end Keion Adams
Taking stock of an athlete’s mearsurables, including height, weight, arm length, 40-time and his vertical leap can enlighten the public on a man’s physical potential, while game film and position drills are considered better indicators of functional skills in terms of how they’ll perform in game situations, but a quality that isn’t talked about as often is character.
And I’m not referring to players that have served jail time or check into the pros with a full deck of DUIs and school violations. Those issues are usually matters of public record for everyone to see and talk about through varied forms of media.
There are plenty of individuals that may have a clean record, but lack character.
Every team looks for those types of leaders that rally the troops during periods of struggle. Those selfless players that are all about the “we” rather than just “me”.
One prospect that embodies remarkable physical skills with that team-first mindset is Western Michigan’s Keion Adams, who first came to Kalamazoo as a three-sport star from North Carolina in 2013 as a youngster that had already experienced a modicum of success by being part of a State Championship team with his Salisbury football team in 2010.
Adams began as a part-time player on a 1-11 Broncos squad led by 32 year-old first-year head coach P.J. Fleck, who would go on to lead the program to ultimately winning the MAC West Division Title by going 13-0 before leaving for the University of Minnesota in 2016.
The North Carolina-born defender’s steady progression as a football player mirrored his team’s annual climb into becoming a mid-major powerhouse, as Adams finally earned a regular starting role in his 2015 junior season that saw the stand-up lineman refine his rush technique and terrorize blockers with his quick-step explosiveness off the snap and ability to spin off his man at top speed.
Although the 21-year-old criminal justice major is technically a defensive end, he’s in no way a hand-in-the-dirt trench master that throws his weight around at 6-foot-2, 245—about 15 pounds heavier than he played at during most his time in Kalamazoo. Instead, he wins with quickness, agility and speed rather than size and leverage.
He followed up a breakout junior campaign in which he produced 5.5 sacks, 10 TFLs and 1 FF with an astounding senior year where he improved in each one of those categories by posting a stat line of 7.5 sacks, 18 TFLs and 3 FFs.
Adams is an active sort on the field that runs down plays and generates tremendous force when he makes contact.
That ability to be an omnipresent member of the defensive unit portends well for his prospects at the next level considering the fact that he may asked to step back and shift inside by taking on an inside linebacker role.
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Playing off the ball will require Adams to cover a greater area of the field by roaming laterally in pursuit of ball carriers.
While interviewing the former Broncos disruptor, he spoke at length about the gains he recently made in size and strength, but is also prepared to take on any role an NFL team believe he’s best suited for in whatever scheme he lands in.
But what was unique about Adams is that he willingly spent just as much time lauding his former coaches and teammates as he did addressing his own game and future plans.
It’s highly doubtful that there’s any NFL team that wouldn’t want a player with his types of intangible leaderships traits on their roster…the trick is finding the right spot for Adams to reach his true potential.
Here is my conversation with the NFL hopeful just days prior to his flight to Indianapolis where he’s set to showcase his skills at the annual scouting combine.
Q: Talk about your four years at Western Michigan and how your team went from being a one-win also-ran into winning the MAC West Division Title only three years later?
A: For anybody who’s been following us over the past four years knows that we didn’t start off so hot. We started off 1-11 in 2013. It was a crazy ride. It was something we needed to have in order to get where we needed to be. We experienced some growing pains and it allowed us to grow up into the players we are now—guys like Corey Davis, Zach Terrell, Taylor Moten and myself. Seems that we were part of a group that was able to fight through a lot of our early battles and fight through the frustration. It prepared us to be where we are now. The 13-win season we had in 2016 is a tribute to everybody on the staff, the team and all the guys that came in and played a big role as freshmen. We came out that first year and played 10 or 15 freshmen. Coach Fleck wasn’t scared of doing that. So when this season came around, we knew where to be. We were coming off two back-to-back 8-5 seasons and appearances in two bowl games. So we knew that this year—which was our last year—guys like Corey, Zach and I wanted to go out with a bang. So we just put our heads down. Everyone was in the boat…everyone’s oar was in the water and everyone was rowing. That’s real big when you have all those people focusing on one goal…people working toward that same goal. And that’s what you saw at the end of the year in the Cotton Bowl.
Q: Can you talk about the impact of P.J. Fleck? What was the secret sauce that allowed him to emerge as highly successful head coach?
A: What coach Fleck did not only affected people in the organization, as far as the faculty and the staff, it affected the community…it affected the students at Western Michigan University that were able to participate in athletics. What he brought to the program wasn’t just something you could apply to sports, but something you could apply to life. It was something that allows you to keep going no matter what the adversity. You just had to figure out how to respond and keep that positive perspective. So just by coach Fleck coming in and providing that great energy, it just taught us all the great messages outside of football and taught us how to be men. We learned the little things. He [gave us] financial advice, car advice or whatever the case may be. He was much more than a coach and provided a lot more than what a lot of people offered at other programs. Without him, we probably would not haven’t gone as far as we did.
Q: What’s been going on in the offseason? Where are you training and is there a particular area that you are looking to really improve in from a physical standpoint?
A: Right now, I’m training in Weston, FL at Brandon Marshall’s facility, Fit Speed Athletic Performance. The head trainer there is Matt Gase and he’s been showing us the smaller details. The things we didn’t necessarily get to work on throughout the season. He’s just fine tuning a lot of things technique-wise. As far as myself personally, I know I’m not the prototypical defensive end that a lot of people expect as far as being 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds. What I’m really focusing on is being able to play linebacker. I know I’m athletic enough to do it. I know I can play in space. So, I’m just working on my lateral movement. I’m just getting back into the groove of playing linebacker. I’m working with dbs; I’m working with db coaches and working on how to get my hips turned, footwork and a bunch of small things.
Q: So, how do you think you stack up with the top edge rushers in this draft?
A: I’m smaller and that gives me the ability to get to the quarterback by using my athletic ability. It allows me to start and stop to get passed a lot of those 6-foot-7 offensive tackles. It just allows me to use my speed and my athleticism to dip and rip. Because I’m so quick, they won’t be able to get their hands on me. I feel like what I bring to the table is that I’m a student of the game as far as watching film and how a tackle is going to play. Is he a leaner? Does he shoot out his hands and tend to grab? That allows me to go out and have a game plan established. The other thing is I’m very coachable. I had a new defensive line coach, Jimmy Williams from UAB. Any and everything he brought to the table as far as teaching me small details and technique…I was able to apply it which allowed me to boost my productivity throughout the season. I feel like the fact of me being able to use my athleticism and the fact that I’m coachable allows me to go out and make plays other won’t be able to make.
Q: Where do you see yourself playing at the next level and do you have any experience playing as an inside off-the-ball linebacker?
A: I feel like I’m versatile. I feel like I can do either or. I can definitely go inside and be a run stuffer. I feel like I have the prototypical body to do that. I’m now 245 and I won’t have a problem stacking up against those guards on those inside power plays. But I can also see myself as an outside guy because I have a nick and knack for getting after the quarterback and I love going out there and making impact plays. I feel like I can play anywhere—either 3-4 outside linebacker or a 4-3 WILL. Wherever a team needs me, I’m down to do it.
Q: What kinds of numbers are you shooting for at the combine?
A: As far as numbers specifically, a lot of guys don’t think I’m that fast. So, high 4.5, low 4.6 in the 40 just to show the people out there I can run. Right now, I’m consistently testing out at 4.62, 4.63—that’s where I need to be. I need to show I can play linebacker and show I can run sideline to sideline. I already feel strong enough to go out there and match up against any offensive lineman as it is. I know I’m competing against the best guys in the country. So, I’m really not focusing on too much. I’m just going out there to be the best I know I can be.
Q: What’s a bigger concern your timed activities or the position drills?
A: In my case, I would focus more on the position drills because that’s where guys will figure out whether I can play and to see if I can move in space…can I flip my hips? The position drills are going to show a lot and the coaches are going to be looking at that. That’s where they’re going to be getting their grade on me on things like being able to open up at a 45-degree angle, running laterally and things of that nature.
Q: This year you also have a couple of teammates that are going to be highly coveted in the draft. Of course, I’m talking about Corey Davis and Taylor Moten. Moten, in particular, is a guy you probably went up against a lot in practice. What can you tell us about the big right tackle that weighs 328 pounds and supposedly throws up 400 pounds in the weight room with ease and can squat 570 pounds?
A: First and foremost, he’s a great guy. His personality speaks for itself. If you’re around him, he’s always smiling. If you get into a conversation with him, he’s smart and intellectual as well. Taylor is a strong guy. Him and I used to go at it daily. He was my workout partner. We challenged each other every day and pound-for-pound, we were the strongest [players] on the team. It was always a competition between us in the weight room. As far as what he does on the field, Taylor Moten is versatile. He played on both the left and the right side of the line over the past four years. He’s played guard and tackle. He knows how to move his feet, shoot his hands and he’s smart. He can pick up certain things from defensive ends like their hitches and certain movements—he can stop that. He’s big and a great overall player. He’s somebody I was proud have as a teammate.
Q: What’s the part of your game that most people aren’t talking about?
A: I feel that it’s my speed. If you go out there and watch a lot of the plays I make, [you’ll see] my burst allows me to get off the line. I’m always running down plays, chasing plays down; that’s an underrated part of my game people don’t see.
Q: Do you get to watch the Packers at all? What do you think about the boys from Packers News?
A: I do get to watch the Packers a lot with Julius Peppers being from North Carolina. That’s someone I looked up to as a younger guy coming up. They got Nick Perry and Haha Clinton Dix. They got guys that go out there and make plays. Then you have Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson—and they can be unstoppable. They’re a great team.
Q: Who are some of the NFL players you rooted for growing up and what team were you a fan of?
A: When I was in elementary school in North Carolina, there was a book on Ronde Barber and Tiki Barber and for some reason, I gravitated toward Tiki and started liking the Giants. It just so happens that Lawrence Taylor is from North Carolina and he ended up being one of the Giants’ greats and that’s somebody I really liked. I tried to go out there and play with his intensity and his passion. Lawrence Taylor was a great idol of mine that I watched and tried to model my game after.
Q: What is your favorite movie of all time?
A: Bad Boys.
Q: What is your favorite meal?
A: Seafood. I’m a big seafood guy. Crabs, shrimp…any kind of seafood.
Q: Can you give me three words that best describe you as a player, a teammate and as an individual?
A: Versatile, a people person and outgoing.