The Gaines I never knew
posted by LW, Friday, January 22, 2010
When a reporter from Chicago called last Sunday to get some insight into Gaines Adams the person, I was almost embarrassed to reveal that I didn't really have a whole lot of insight to share.
He was always a nice guy and a warm presence in the three years I covered him at Clemson, but beyond that I couldn't offer much else.
In the five days that have unfolded since Adams' tragic death, we've heard lots of tributes and anecdotes from folks who knew him well.
It really makes me wish I'd taken time to get to know him when he was at Clemson. And I could be wrong here, but I'm betting most of the reporters who covered him here feel the same way.
When you're in the business of reporting on sports -- or anything, for that matter -- you tend to gravitate toward the people who have the most to say. And you tend to gravitate away from those who have the least to say.
It's a form of intellectual laziness, really. It's natural to reflexively flock to the guys who are more likely to fill up your notebook because it makes your job easier. It's more difficult to dig deeper into the personality of someone who is more reserved and less willing to reveal what makes him or her tick.
Gaines Adams was far from a recluse. As I said, he was always accessible, always a nice guy, and always quick with that now-famous smile. But he was also guarded to folks who did not know him well. He was engaging, but only to an extent. That's the way I remember it, at least.
As folks who knew Adams well prepare to say goodbye to him today in Easley, those of us who didn't know him as well wish we'd have made more of an effort.
Here's a photo gallery from the Chicago Tribune, which was in Greenwood to document Adams' wake.
Adams' longtime girlfriend tries to come to grips with his passing.
Listening to the one-minute clip only brought back the horrific memories of Adams' death at the age of 26. Slappy remained on the phone with the dispatcher for nearly 15 minutes, hoping to bring Adams back to life.
"I tried,'' she said, voice quivering. "You know what hurts so bad? Any time and every time I needed him, he was there. And when he needed me, I couldn't help him. I tried, but I couldn't help him.''
Slappy hopes the next few days will be a celebration of Adams' life rather than people simply rehashing his death.
The Chicago Bears will have a 60-member contingent at today's funeral.
Same with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Cambridge Academy in Greenwood is retiring Adams' No. 22.
Adams, the team's go-to receiver and a two-way standout, led Cambridge to a 12-1 record and state title in 2000 while playing eight-man football. After one year of prep school, Adams went on to be an All-American at Clemson and become the fourth-overall draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the '07 draft.
Tackett said the school is considering naming its football field after Adams.
A Clemson official said the university might consider retiring Adams' number 93 jersey, although nothing is imminent.
In this article, Rod Marinelli salutes Adams.
The morning after the 2009 season finale in Detroit, Bears defensive line coach Rod Marinelli conducted an exit interview with defensive end Gaines Adams in his office at Halas Hall.
Adams was quiet, as usual, mostly listening as Marinelli outlined the expectations for his young defensive end during the offseason.
Hit the weights immediately, Marinelli told his player, and focus on the big picture.
''I could see just the smile on his face,'' Marinelli said. ''He was leaning forward in his chair, and he was really listening. You could feel this guy was hungry. He was excited. I could feel it.
''He wanted to help this organization, and he wanted to prove -- not to anybody else but to himself -- how good he could be."
Good article on Adams in the Sumter Item.
Roosevelt Nelson, who played with Gaines from 2002-03, was one of the first Clemson players to meet the Chicago Bears defensive end. While Adams was on his official visit, his host was Roosevelt’s roommate, Charles Bennett.
When Adams walked into the room, Roosevelt recalled a real quiet guy.
“He was wearing some minature baseball hat and I told him that if he was going to be hanging out with us, he couldn’t wear that,” laughed Roosevelt. “I gave him one of mine to wear and we’ve hit it off since then.
And later...
Roosevelt remembers always joking around with Adams about his high school playing days. Adams played at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood, which sponsored an 8-man football team.
Adams went on to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia before signing on with Clemson.
“We’ asked him where he played high school and he said Cambridge Academy,” recalled Roosevelt. “We were like, ‘What’s that? Is that a private school?’ He said they played 8-man football.
“We’d never heard of 8-man football, so we always joked with him that he played flag football in high school, “ he added with a laugh.
David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune says better heart testing is needed in the NFL.
The autopsy on Adams detected abnormalities in his heart that would have been apparent in an echocardiogram, a source familiar with the results said.
The question isn't whether NFL teams can afford to require echocardiograms annually for players - a relative pittance at an estimated cost of $180,000 per team. The question may be whether they can afford not to given teams' access and means to the best in sophisticated health-care prevention.
Bart Wright has a good column on Dick Vitale, who will be at Littlejohn on Saturday for the Duke-Clemson showcase.
Full disclosure: When Dickie V. is working a game, I tend to change the channel or turn down the volume. His hyperventilating, hyperbolic style just ain't my bag.
But even his most ardent critics cannot refute that he's been great for college basketball. Hard not to like the guy after reading stuff like this:
It's one of the most underrated places in America,” Vitale said of Littlejohn in a telephone conversation Thursday. “We've pounded people with the Cameron Crazies (at Duke), and the other places we go, but not enough know about Littlejohn; it's always been a great place to watch basketball, but (Clemson coach) Oliver Purnell has taken it to a whole new level.”
And later...
You hear people sometimes question if Vitale's passion is real or some staged act just for television. Let me assure you this guy feels the rhythms of the game deep inside. He was coaching the Detroit Pistons in 1979 when they came to Seattle to play a late-season game against the Sonics in the Kingdome.
That was 30 years ago. The building they played in has been leveled; the franchise has been moved to Oklahoma City, but I still remember being in a small group of reporters who interviewed Vitale after the game. It was one of those things you don't forget.
The Pistons kept it close in the first half. then the Sonics blew them out in the last two quarters, just another one of those defeats in a long NBA season, but it wasn't just another game for Vitale, who addressed reporters with tears streaking down his cheeks.
Losing coaches don't cry in the NBA. Vitale was crying.
“That's why I couldn't survive as a coach,” Vitale said. “It took too much out of me. That wasn't the only time my emotions got the best of me; I was just too wrapped up in it."
In The State, a good piece on the football staff's increased emphasis on recruiting the Peach State.
Ken Tysiac of The Charlotte Observer says Russell Wilson is skipping spring football practice to devote his focus to baseball.
As we told you the day after the bowl game, Kyle Parker could be facing the same questions.
I'd be surprised if Parker is a complete no-show at spring practice, but all signs point to the majority of his focus being on baseball.
Also from Tysiac: How rare is it for Duke and North Carolina to lose on the same day?
Very.
How rare is it for them to dose by double digits on the same day?
Very, very.
Mark Bradley of the AJC gives his early Top 25 for 2010.
Three aspects of Bradley's forecast are certain to irk Clemson fans:
1) Georgia Tech No. 15
2) South Carolina No. 19
3) Clemson nowhere
Check out this positively riotous video on the Wizard of Odds of a crazed Southern Cal fan begging Pete Carroll not to leave for Seattle.
Say what you will about Carroll, but he has a great sense of humor. How many coaches would agree to do something like that?
So how much did it take for Bud Foster to turn down Georgia and remain in Blacksburg?
Doubling your earnings ain't too shabby.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
When a reporter from Chicago called last Sunday to get some insight into Gaines Adams the person, I was almost embarrassed to reveal that I didn't really have a whole lot of insight to share.
He was always a nice guy and a warm presence in the three years I covered him at Clemson, but beyond that I couldn't offer much else.
In the five days that have unfolded since Adams' tragic death, we've heard lots of tributes and anecdotes from folks who knew him well.
It really makes me wish I'd taken time to get to know him when he was at Clemson. And I could be wrong here, but I'm betting most of the reporters who covered him here feel the same way.
When you're in the business of reporting on sports -- or anything, for that matter -- you tend to gravitate toward the people who have the most to say. And you tend to gravitate away from those who have the least to say.
It's a form of intellectual laziness, really. It's natural to reflexively flock to the guys who are more likely to fill up your notebook because it makes your job easier. It's more difficult to dig deeper into the personality of someone who is more reserved and less willing to reveal what makes him or her tick.
Gaines Adams was far from a recluse. As I said, he was always accessible, always a nice guy, and always quick with that now-famous smile. But he was also guarded to folks who did not know him well. He was engaging, but only to an extent. That's the way I remember it, at least.
As folks who knew Adams well prepare to say goodbye to him today in Easley, those of us who didn't know him as well wish we'd have made more of an effort.
Here's a photo gallery from the Chicago Tribune, which was in Greenwood to document Adams' wake.
Adams' longtime girlfriend tries to come to grips with his passing.
Listening to the one-minute clip only brought back the horrific memories of Adams' death at the age of 26. Slappy remained on the phone with the dispatcher for nearly 15 minutes, hoping to bring Adams back to life.
"I tried,'' she said, voice quivering. "You know what hurts so bad? Any time and every time I needed him, he was there. And when he needed me, I couldn't help him. I tried, but I couldn't help him.''
Slappy hopes the next few days will be a celebration of Adams' life rather than people simply rehashing his death.
The Chicago Bears will have a 60-member contingent at today's funeral.
Same with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Cambridge Academy in Greenwood is retiring Adams' No. 22.
Adams, the team's go-to receiver and a two-way standout, led Cambridge to a 12-1 record and state title in 2000 while playing eight-man football. After one year of prep school, Adams went on to be an All-American at Clemson and become the fourth-overall draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the '07 draft.
Tackett said the school is considering naming its football field after Adams.
A Clemson official said the university might consider retiring Adams' number 93 jersey, although nothing is imminent.
In this article, Rod Marinelli salutes Adams.
The morning after the 2009 season finale in Detroit, Bears defensive line coach Rod Marinelli conducted an exit interview with defensive end Gaines Adams in his office at Halas Hall.
Adams was quiet, as usual, mostly listening as Marinelli outlined the expectations for his young defensive end during the offseason.
Hit the weights immediately, Marinelli told his player, and focus on the big picture.
''I could see just the smile on his face,'' Marinelli said. ''He was leaning forward in his chair, and he was really listening. You could feel this guy was hungry. He was excited. I could feel it.
''He wanted to help this organization, and he wanted to prove -- not to anybody else but to himself -- how good he could be."
Good article on Adams in the Sumter Item.
Roosevelt Nelson, who played with Gaines from 2002-03, was one of the first Clemson players to meet the Chicago Bears defensive end. While Adams was on his official visit, his host was Roosevelt’s roommate, Charles Bennett.
When Adams walked into the room, Roosevelt recalled a real quiet guy.
“He was wearing some minature baseball hat and I told him that if he was going to be hanging out with us, he couldn’t wear that,” laughed Roosevelt. “I gave him one of mine to wear and we’ve hit it off since then.
And later...
Roosevelt remembers always joking around with Adams about his high school playing days. Adams played at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood, which sponsored an 8-man football team.
Adams went on to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia before signing on with Clemson.
“We’ asked him where he played high school and he said Cambridge Academy,” recalled Roosevelt. “We were like, ‘What’s that? Is that a private school?’ He said they played 8-man football.
“We’d never heard of 8-man football, so we always joked with him that he played flag football in high school, “ he added with a laugh.
David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune says better heart testing is needed in the NFL.
The autopsy on Adams detected abnormalities in his heart that would have been apparent in an echocardiogram, a source familiar with the results said.
The question isn't whether NFL teams can afford to require echocardiograms annually for players - a relative pittance at an estimated cost of $180,000 per team. The question may be whether they can afford not to given teams' access and means to the best in sophisticated health-care prevention.
Bart Wright has a good column on Dick Vitale, who will be at Littlejohn on Saturday for the Duke-Clemson showcase.
Full disclosure: When Dickie V. is working a game, I tend to change the channel or turn down the volume. His hyperventilating, hyperbolic style just ain't my bag.
But even his most ardent critics cannot refute that he's been great for college basketball. Hard not to like the guy after reading stuff like this:
It's one of the most underrated places in America,” Vitale said of Littlejohn in a telephone conversation Thursday. “We've pounded people with the Cameron Crazies (at Duke), and the other places we go, but not enough know about Littlejohn; it's always been a great place to watch basketball, but (Clemson coach) Oliver Purnell has taken it to a whole new level.”
And later...
You hear people sometimes question if Vitale's passion is real or some staged act just for television. Let me assure you this guy feels the rhythms of the game deep inside. He was coaching the Detroit Pistons in 1979 when they came to Seattle to play a late-season game against the Sonics in the Kingdome.
That was 30 years ago. The building they played in has been leveled; the franchise has been moved to Oklahoma City, but I still remember being in a small group of reporters who interviewed Vitale after the game. It was one of those things you don't forget.
The Pistons kept it close in the first half. then the Sonics blew them out in the last two quarters, just another one of those defeats in a long NBA season, but it wasn't just another game for Vitale, who addressed reporters with tears streaking down his cheeks.
Losing coaches don't cry in the NBA. Vitale was crying.
“That's why I couldn't survive as a coach,” Vitale said. “It took too much out of me. That wasn't the only time my emotions got the best of me; I was just too wrapped up in it."
In The State, a good piece on the football staff's increased emphasis on recruiting the Peach State.
Ken Tysiac of The Charlotte Observer says Russell Wilson is skipping spring football practice to devote his focus to baseball.
As we told you the day after the bowl game, Kyle Parker could be facing the same questions.
I'd be surprised if Parker is a complete no-show at spring practice, but all signs point to the majority of his focus being on baseball.
Also from Tysiac: How rare is it for Duke and North Carolina to lose on the same day?
Very.
How rare is it for them to dose by double digits on the same day?
Very, very.
Mark Bradley of the AJC gives his early Top 25 for 2010.
Three aspects of Bradley's forecast are certain to irk Clemson fans:
1) Georgia Tech No. 15
2) South Carolina No. 19
3) Clemson nowhere
Check out this positively riotous video on the Wizard of Odds of a crazed Southern Cal fan begging Pete Carroll not to leave for Seattle.
Say what you will about Carroll, but he has a great sense of humor. How many coaches would agree to do something like that?
So how much did it take for Bud Foster to turn down Georgia and remain in Blacksburg?
Doubling your earnings ain't too shabby.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Donnie Patterson. Donnie Patterson is the founder of Patterson Tax Service, located in Easley, S.C. He has been active in tax preparation since 1970, and offers a full range of tax and bookkeeping services.
Larry Williams. Larry has covered the daily beat at Clemson since 2004. Williams, who worked for the Charleston Post & Courier from 2004-08, joined Tigerillustrated.com in November of 2008. He may be reached by email at ldubya08(at)gmail.com. Replace (at) with @.