A Sit Down With Anthony Adams

July 30, 2011; Bourbonnais, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Anthony Adams (95) interacts with fans prior to training camp at Olivet Nazarene University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony ‘Spice’ Adams, was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers during the 2003 draft, 2nd round, 57th pick.

I can’t be the only one to say this, but Anthony Adams is one of my favorite Chicago Bears to ever wear their uniform. A big man, but the way he exploded off the snap and swarmed the ball carrier amazed me.

I always wanted to play defense myself, but since junior tackle had a weight limit for safety reasons, I was put on the offensive line. To be a part of a defense that dominated the field, hearing your name over the P.A. system during the game after recording a tackle or instead of me protecting my quarterback from guys like Adams, being like him and disrupting offenses.

This interview was a personal highlight for me, I love this team. The Chicago Bears to my house hold is more than a professional football team, they are like family. We praise these guys during the regular, post, even off-season.

When I first arrived at NFL Spin Zone, I wanted to do something big. I reached out to Anthony Adams (who I have as a friend on facebook) and asked him if he would give me the honor to interview him for NFL Spin Zone, within a few minutes I got a reply saying: ‘Let’s Do It!!!!’. Boy was I excited, I sent him a list of questions, knowing and understanding that he was a busy man, with events or his family and waited patiently.

So here we are, February 27th, 2013, with an NFL Spin Zone exclusive interview with defensive tackle free agent, Anthony Adams.

I would also like to dedicate this interview to my Grandfather and Chicago Bears fan, Charles R. Burton, who is currently battling Stomach and Pancreatic Cancer.

Q: What got you into the game of Football?

A: “My mother made me play football. I did not want to play. I was too big to play little league so I couldn’t play until I got to high school. So, one day my mom just dropped me off at a practice my high school had and peeled out the parking lot. I went up to the coach and he told me to run. The rest is history.”

Q: Were you involved in any other Sports?

A: “The other sport I played was basketball. We had a rim in my backyard and my neighbor had a roll-away. So we would either play in my backyard or in front of our houses. When I went to my high school, I played JV. I probably fouled out every game. I wanted to play varsity but every time I practiced I would somehow twist my ankle or something. So I ended up just practicing with the team every now and again. The coach was cool and he figured it could help his big men if they went up against me in the post all the time. But growing up it was always either football or basketball.”

Q: Playing Football for Penn State. How was it to play for Coach Paterno?

A: “Playing for Coach Paterno was a great experience. He was like a father figure to me. You would think he was overly concerned about what you did on the field. But I quickly found out that he was more than X’s and O’s. He was concerned about you getting to school on time, study hall, being well-groomed, meeting with tutors, appearance, etc. You couldn’t even have chin hair. No earrings in your ear, no saggy pants, no hats in the building, and you better not dare be late to ANYTHING. I will never forget what he told me about being late. Every division 1 school has about 120 players on the team. So when we had our squad meeting everyone would be present. If you were 1 minute late then he would be extremely upset. To the average person you would think why is he making a big deal out of 1 minute? But he explained to me that it is actually 120 minutes, because I took a minute away from 120 people. I learned a lot from Coach.”

Q: What was draft day like?

A: “Draft day was cool for the most part but I didn’t know what to expect. Especially with all of my friends prank calling me! A lot of Internet and magazines had predicted that I would get drafted in the 4th round and some people not at all. My agent said I could go from 1st-3rd.”

Q: Where were you at during the Draft?

A: “I was at Penn State at coach Larry Johnson’s house (my D Line coach). My mom was there, my frat brothers, my uncle, and some of my friends.”

Q: How was the energy within your family when you got that call from San Francisco?

A: “When I got drafted, it was weird because it happened on a commercial break, and my signal was fading on my cell phone. As I was talking to the GM of the San Francisco 49ers my flip phone was acting up. But I heard enough to know that my flight was leaving for San Francisco the next day! But overall it was a great experience!”

Q: What was the difference when it came to the fan base in San Francisco, compared to Chicago?

A: “The fan base in San Fran is awesome and the fan base in Chicago is awesome! The difference is at San Fran, with Oakland being so close, fans get to choose. In the same city that we would practice in (Santa Clara) there would be a lot of Raiders fans. In Chicago, the fan base is all Bears. But, I was blessed to be a part of 2 great organizations with awesome traditions and great fans!!”

Q: Putting on a Chicago Bears uniform, knowing the history of the Monsters of the Midway and the type of defenses they have had their their franchises history. What did it feel like, were you nervous?

A: “The only thing I was uneasy with was putting on #95. I told the equipment guys to give me whatever number they wanted me to have and I would make it work. But, with the Bears having so many retired numbers, I had to get #95. Richard Dent’s jersey should be retired as well. The thing that was awesome about wearing #95 was that Dent told me what I was representing and I received his blessing. I talked to him every time I saw him on the sideline as well as at off the field events and every time he would say, “You are representing Big A!” It was cool to hear him say that.”

Q: What are your thoughts on coach Lovie Smith being fired?

A: “I always felt that Coach Smith should’ve gotten a chance to coach his contract out. In addition to that, he got fired after winning 10 games.”

Q: Besides Soldier Field or Candlestick, what other stadium did you enjoy playing in?

A: “Playing in Dallas is Ridiculous! It’s almost like being a rock star!!!”

Q: Alright, I have a few questions away from football. Let’s start off with your favorite movie(s)?

A: “Favorite movie is a tough question for me, because it is so many that I grew up liking. House Party, Friday, Menace II Society, Tuskegee Airmen, Ali, Inception, Dumb and Dumber, Harlem Nights, etc.”

Q: What is your favorite Cartoon?

A: “Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes are my favorite cartoons. Wile E Coyote and the roadrunner, Foghorn Leghorn are classics!”

Q: Favorite Musician?

A: “Stevie Wonder is the G.O.A.T!!!!”

Q: Final question, Will we see Anthony Adams back on the field?

A: “I hope I can get back on the field!”

Again, it was an honor to interview this man. In other events, Anthony Adams currently has a ‘Dancing With Chicago Celebrities’ event happening on March 8th, 2013. He is currently giving away two tickets (I’ll post a link below with details on additional info and a chance to win those tickets) for his event.

http://anthonyadams.lockerdome.com/contests/106500464

Money raised from the event is for Breast Cancer.

You can follow Anthony Adams on twitter at @spiceadams