(670 The Score) Bears receiver Rodney Adams is as easy to root for as anyone.
He overcame a health scare with his heart while playing in high school, then experienced tragedy as a freshman in college when his mother passed away, as the Bears' team website recently detailed. The Vikings selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but he chose to retire from football in April 2018 while “battling demons,” as he put it in dealing with the personal hardship and while still grieving.
While away from the game, Adams was fittingly cast as a football player in an episode of “Modern Family” and filmed commercials for State Farm and KFC. Adams then chose to return to football in 2020 and ended up landing on the Bears’ practice squad.
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With the return of preseason games in 2021 after they were cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns last season, the 26-year-old Adams is showcasing his skills. He’s Chicago’s leading receiver this preseason with seven catches for 146 yards in two games, including a 73-yard score in the Bears’ loss to the Bills last Saturday.
Adams’ strong performance Saturday was made even more remarkable by the fact that his wife, Madison, gave birth to their first child, daughter Brexleigh Michelle, just hours before and Adams had slept on a couch in the hospital before taking the field for the Bears.
“It’s a whirlwind right now,” Adams said with a laugh.
“Madison, she’s a Navy Seal – she’s up all night feeding (the baby). She’s trying to make sure that I’m waking up every morning trying to get the job done every single day. And I love her for it. She’s a Navy Seal at home right now.”
As for his football endeavors, Adams is blocking out the big question that hangs over the head of every player in his situation. What are his chances of making the 53-man roster? As Adams explained, he’s “worried about getting 1% better every single day.”
“We don’t even talk about it, because we come out here every single day to compete,” Adams said of he and his Bears teammates. “In that room, we’re family. We don’t look at the numbers. This whole team, we’re a family. We’re not looking at numbers. We’re just trying to get better each and every day. I’m just trying to find ways that I can help the team like everyone else is. Looking at the depth chart, trying to figure out where everyone is, it’s not really a concern. Because we’re trying to get better every single day. We’re not worried the days ahead. It’s the challenge of the next day and the next day, not the days ahead.
“I’m blessed to be here. From day one, this organization, my coaches, they’ve believed in me from day one. I come out every single day and take coaching in every way I can take it. They’re just behind me. Good plays, bad plays, they’re always there coaching me. I’m just embracing it and trying to do everything I can to just help this team win. It’s just going out working hard every single day and like I said, not worrying about the days ahead. Just coming out every single day giving it my all every single day, trying to get better that 1% every single day. It’s hard, but at the same time, when you’re making that progress, it’s going to show. I’m just worried about getting 1% better every single day.”
With a career path that few have experienced, Adams shared his best advice for those fighting to achieve their dreams.
“You have to stay strong, stay strong through it all,” Adams said. “Weather the storm. There’s always going to be dark days. It’s always going to rain. But if you just stay true, stay focused, (there’s) going to be sunshine. I’m a testament to that. Stay strong, stay true, stay who you are and everything is going to work out. Just try to be strong. Keep fighting, keep fighting.
“It hasn’t been easy. It’s been a tough journey. But keeping the faith, staying strong, having a good support system, all that comes into play. I’d be lying to you all if I said, ‘I did this all on my own.’ I worked hard for this. It’s been a collective effort with my family, with my coaches, with my agents. It’s crazy. It’s just wild because like you said, it’s been a movie-like journey. But in real time, it’s been a tough journey. It’s been crazy.”