Professional Career
Adams was selected in the first round (eighth overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1994 NFL Draft, and he played for the Seahawks from 1994 to 1999. He made several starts during his rookie year, splitting time between defensive tackle and defensive end. In his second season, he sacked Mark Brunell of the Jacksonville Jaguars for a safety, scoring his first points of his professional career. He also blocked a field goal in overtime against the Arizona Cardinals. He played several more years for Seattle, making the AFC Pro Bowl team as an alternate in 1997. In 2000 he signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens, and helped lead the most dominating defense in the league to a victory at Super Bowl XXXV. That season he was also named as a starter to the Pro Bowl for the first time, a feat he would repeat the following season. He had to wear number 95 for the rest of his NFL Career because fellow Baltimore Ravens teammate Tony Siragusa took his number 98.
In 2002 he was a free agent once again, and this time he signed with the Oakland Raiders. He started 14 of the 16 games that season, missing one due to injury and played in the other game he did not start. He was on the team that went to Super Bowl XXXVII; unfortunately, the result was not the same, as the Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2003, Adams signed with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent and helped anchor the defensive line there. His first game for Buffalo was a memorable one, as he registered a sack, two tackles, and an interception against Tom Brady that was returned for a touchdown (his second career TD). He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2003 for the second time in his career.
On March 1, 2006, Adams was released by the Bills because of salary cap issues.
On March 31, 2006, Adams signed a three year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Joining the Bengals has reunited Adams with Marvin Lewis, who was the defensive coordinator for the Ravens when Adams played for them and is now Cincinnati's head coach.
In what Lewis called "a very difficult decision", the Bengals released Adams on May 14, 2007. "But the timing is such that it provides Sam the opportunity to obtain a roster spot with another team."
That other team would end up being the Denver Broncos, whom Adams officially signed with on June 4, 2007. Adams was released on December 4, 2007.
Read more about this topic: Sam Adams (American Football)
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