Adams Credits Bowden for Return

CLEMSON – The awards keep rolling in for Clemson’s defensive end. However, in this latest one, the senior defensive end had no idea just how big of a deal it truly is.

When told he was named as a First-Team Associated Press All-American, Adams had to ask what it meant and what the honor really was. After informed, he was naturally ecstatic.

“It feels great just to be mentioned with those other athletes and to be on the team,” Adams said. “This is why I made my decision to come back to Clemson. I wanted to have that good senior season that I was hoping for.”

Adams is the first defensive end at Clemson to earn the honor and the first Tiger overall since Keith Adams did it in 2000.

Adams has now been named first-team All-American according to the Walter Camp Foundation, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association of American and the Associated Press. He was also named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

The Sporting News will name its All-America team Wednesday. If Adams is selected, he will become the firs unanimous All-American from Clemson since Terry Kinard in 1982 and just the second in school history.

Adams led the ACC and ranked ninth in the nation in quarterback sacks this season with 10.5, and tied for the second most in a season in Clemson history. He currently has 26 career sacks, trailing just Michael Dean Perry (28) and William Perry (27).

He finished the season with 56 tackles this year, including 15.5 tackles for loss. He also had three recovered fumbles, two caused fumbles and a touchdown. He had a streak of eight consecutive games in which he recorded a sack, an all-time Clemson record.

However, all those numbers nearly never happened as Adams came very close to leaving early and jumping into the NFL.

“Coach (Tommy) Bowden is one of the main men that helped me make the decision to come back to Clemson,” Adams said. “He saw something in me that helped me make a good decision.”