Keith Adams’s Answers To Ask The Tigers

July 28, 2000

Below are Keith Adams’s answers to Ask The Tigers. Adams is a junior linebacker on the Clemson football team. ClemsonTigers.com thanks the fans who submitted questions and Keith for taking the time to answer them.

David, Newlin, Dacula, Ga. Having such a tremendous sophomore season and anticipated equal or better junior year, what are the chances of us cheering for your senior year as well?

Keith Adams’s Answer It’s a great chance that I will be back here for my senior year. You only have one college experience and I want to enjoy this to the fullest. The NFL has been there forever and it will be there when I go and after, so I would really just be proud to play four years here.

Steve Persia, Spencerport N.Y. I first wanted to thank you for making my senior year at Clemson great by performing the way you did last year. Congrats on ACC Player of the Year and all of your preseason awards as well. My question is what is the buzz around the locker room these days? Are you all looking at the possibility of an undefeated season? Good luck!

Keith Adams’s Answer Definitely, we are just going to take it game-by-game. We are just going to try to get down to Miami and have an undefeated season.

Willy Powell, Clemson, S.C. As a well-known face on campus, do you find it hard to be a regular student and have regular conversations? If so, do you miss it?

Keith Adams’s Answer No, I don’t find it hard at all to have regular conversations. I am just a laid back type of guy and I will talk to people about anything. I will talk about football and anything that is going on in life. It is not real hard.

Kevin Rhodes, Northport, N.Y. How do you and Coach Herring plan on keeping the opponent’s offenses from keying on you?

Keith Adams’s Answer Coach Herring does a great job of developing different disguises and moving me around. It will be very easy for me to make plays this year just as it was last year.

Louise Rozendale, Birmingham Ala. How will you motivate your teammates to defeat FSU?

Keith Adams’s Answer If they can’t be motivated for that game then they just don’t have the type of motivation in their life. But, I feel that they will definitely be motivated for that game.

Matthew Massingill, Gulfport, Fla. With all of the high expectations for this year, how would you describe the team’s maturity in their ability to stay focused and take even the “little” games seriously, so as not to become over-confident?

Keith Adams’s Answer We just are going to go out and take it game-by-game. We are working real hard this summer in the off season and everybody has one common goal and that is to try and get down to Miami. We just work extremely hard each and everyday.

Brandon Farris, Charlotte, N.C. I love your style of play….all out!! I have a few questions: Who is your all time favorite LB? How did you add the 20lbs. in the off-season? What game are you looking forward to the most this season?

Keith Adams’s Answer I have two favorite all-time linebackers. They are Lawrence Taylor and Michael Singletary.

I added the pounds by eating and lifting weights. I had a pretty good diet program that I was on and the good thing is that it is all muscle and I was able to keep my speed. That is better for me, so when I hit people there will be more impact.

I am looking forward to every game. Of course, Florida State is going to be a real key game because they are at the top of the ACC right now and we know we have to knock them off in order to get where we need to go. But, every game I am looking forward to just as equal.

Darrell Ellis, Greenwood, S.C. What is the hardest hit you have ever given? What about the hardest hit you’ve ever received?

Keith Adams’s Answer The hardest hit I have ever given would probably have to be Ryan Brewer at South Carolina. The hardest hit I ever received is probably from my mom giving me a whooping.

Tyler Martin, Lake Toxaway, N.C. What is your max on the bench press? What position did you start out at in high school?

Keith Adams’s Answer I maxed out at 450 on the bench press. I played running back and linebacker in high school.

Roland K. Burks, Southfield, Mich. First of all congratulations on all of your honors & accomplishments! Keep it up! I’ll be attending Clemson in the fall on a track scholarship. I’m looking forward to coming there & I wonder how my experience will be. What would you say about Clemson’s athletic program and just the entire atmosphere of the university?

Keith Adams’s Answer This is a great place to participate in sports. The atmosphere with the fans and everything is great. We get tremendous support and as a team we are really thrilled about that.

James Kelley, Easley, S.C. Do you think that the defensive line will have to improve in order to get to the next level as a defense? Also, would it bother you for your numbers to drop a little if the Ends and Tackles first hits are up? Is this what we need to see in order to improve? Thank you and good luck and good health this year.

Keith Adams’s Answer Each and every position will have to improve. We feel that we are making strides in the off-season. We will improve game-by-game.

No, it wouldn’t bother me at all if their numbers were up and mine were down as long as we get down to Miami.

Walter Bell, Vienna, Va. Keith, can you name one single player you have played against who you would consider the toughest? When being recruited, why did you pick CLEMSON???

Keith Adams’s Answer I would have to say I am the toughest player I have seen, because sometimes I do things that I can’t believe.

Clemson is a good linebacker’s school. I definitely like the atmosphere that is here. It is a great place to play football.

Matt Farver, Reidsville, N.C. I think that Clemson has the football team this year to go into the FSU game with a record of 9-0. Do you think that the Clemson football program is ready to and can beat the Seminoles this year?

Keith Adams’s Answer Definitely. The things that Coach Bowden came in and did, we know the sky is the limit this year.

Craig A. Moore, Irmo, S.C. What is your favorite moment from last season? P.S. Go Tigers!

Keith Adams’s Answer Probably one of my favorite moments was when I broke the sack record here and the players picked me up on their shoulders.