In his first news conference after being selectedĀ sixth overall by the New York Jets, Jamal Adams took the opportunity to establish himself as the most swagged-out rookie in the league. Taking the podium in a double-breasted, tan, windowpane suit, Adams declared, "I am the best dressed here tonight. For me to sit here and say I wasn't the best dressed, I would be lying to you."Ā
He planned it, he told us. Just like heĀ wagered that he'd be drafted higher than his father, a former first-round pick for the Giants. And so, the excitement you'd expect on draft day from a man whose life was about to tremendously change was tempered with the poise that comes from having predictedāand worked forāthis moment his whole life. The confident safety, who entered the draft after three seasons at LSU, already had plans for his first check as well: "This one right here, I am not spending. My first NFL check is going straight to Chase Bank."Ā
Complex spoke with Adams in Philly just before that big night as he was getting glammed upĀ in the Procter & Gamble VIP Style Lounge. While getting a haircut and, yes, a pedicure, he told us he hoped that whatever team drafted him would also be a good basketball cityāthat obviously didn't work out. But he also discussed his admiration for the NBA's notoriously fashionable Russell Westbrook, what it's like seeing his name on ESPN, and actually, the questions he'd rather be answering.
I saw you tweet shortly after the Combine that you want people to stop comparing you. What names were they throwing around?
A lot of people were comparing me to other draftees; that was who that was mainly for, if I remember. But yeah, I donāt like to be compared with other guys, especially if you donāt know football. Itās one thing to just watch film, but if you know the game, and know the ins and outs, you can break things downā¦ācause a lot of people just break things down by statsāhow many picks you have, youāre a better DBāno, thatās not true.
Speaking of picks, is that your main goal when youāre on the field, racking up INTs?
So my sophomore year I had two picks, dropped two, and then my junior year I had one pick, all the way up until the Bama game. So it taught me a lot of patience, it taught me to let the game come to you because if you rush the game, youāre not going to make the plays. In the Wisconsin game, I dropped a pick, the ball hit the ground, and it was tough. You realize that you have to sit back and just let the game just come. If youāre out there saying, āI need to get a pick, I need to get a pick,ā sometimes it just doesnāt work out that way. I feel like everything happens for a reason. Ended with five picks. Not what I wanted, but I think itās fine.
So youāre aiming to best those numbers when you hit the league.
Oh most definitely, you definitely wanna get picks in the league. Like looking at it, it honestly feels like in the league you can get more picks, ācauseāto meāit looks like a lot of quarterbacks just throw it up. In college, itās hard. But weāll see. Iām probably wrong. I probably am, like 99 percent [chance], but at the same time, Iām just looking forward to it.
Was there a moment as a kid when you realized, āOh wow, my dad is a big deal?ā
Not really. Iāve always just been chill on it. Heās really chill, too. I donāt really feel like he feels the big deal either. His career was cut short. He was the 19th pick, and he could have done outstanding things, but it was cut short. But heās very grateful for the opportunity, he met a lot of people throughout the process, and he just said, āDonāt take it for grantedā because he wished he could be back out there doing what he loved to do.
I know this time in your life is incredibly hectic, but have you gotten a chance to watch any of the NBA Playoffs?
A little bit. My favorite player is Dwyane Wade. Iāve always been a fan of Dwyane Wade, since the Marquette days. But Iām also a fan of Westbrook. I love his intensity. I love how he comes to the game with that mindset and how heās himself with the fashionāIām into the fashion world too, so I love what he does. But Iāve only caught maybe one game. I donāt like to catch it until it gets really good. I donāt know if Iāll have any free time here pretty soon, but whatever team I go to, hopefully itās a city where I can go to the basketball games too. That would be pretty cool.
Westbrook, huh? OK. Describe your personal fashion sense.
I think my style is really laid-back, very classy, but I like to have pop. Iām not a flashy guy, but I like to have a little pop.
You also happen to have great hair. Tell us about this partnership with Head & Shoulders.
Itās outstanding that Iām part of the family with Head & Shoulders. Theyāre definitely a class act. Itās definitely an exciting time for my family and I to get started with that brand. It speaks volumes that things are going in the right direction, things that I want are finally here, so itās an exciting time.
Odell Beckham Jr., an LSU alum like yourself, is also a member of the Head & Shoulders family. Have you thought about what it would be like to play with him or against him?
Itās crazyāI saw him at the LSU Spring Game last week. We donāt really talk about it, but itās surreal how everything came so fast. We saw him go off as a rookie, as soon as I came in [to LSU], and he did outstanding, as everybody knows, and hopefully I can just be there one day doing some of the things heās doing.
When did you realize, āOh shit, all eyes are on meā?
Probably my sophomore year. Stared to make plays, and then there was speculation already that I was coming out my junior year. That was kinda crazy, seeing your name on the ticker on ESPN. A lot of people be like, āDo you look at it?ā Yeah, of course, you see your name on ESPN when you turn the TV on, of course you gonā look at it, even though itās poison at times to a lot of people, but itās ways you handle it.
How do you handle it? Itās only going to get worse.
For instance, it was an Uber driver, a young lady yesterday was like, āWho are you?ā And I was like, āIām a regular person, my name is Jamal Adams.ā I like to be known as regular, I donāt like to be known as āOh, this is a celeb.ā I feel like everybody is the same. Everybody just has different backgrounds. I just say stay true to yourself; youāre not better than anyone, everybodyās the same but just different ways of living life.
Last thing: What question are you tired of answering?
[Laughs.] Really just repetitive questions There was one guy who asked me about my father, like, āHave you ever seen his Super Bowl ring?ā Of course Iāve seen his Super Bowl ring. You know, āWhatās it like?ā That question gets old, but at the end of the day itās a process, and I answer it.
And on the flip side, what do you wish people would ask?
My coverage ability, a lot of people donāt talk about my coverage ability. I feel like I am the best safety covering-wise. Ohāand my why. Why Iām doing this. People donāt ask about my motivation, my why. Ā Ā
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