Darrell Adams
American gridiron football player and coach (born 1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Darrell Adams (born September 16, 1983) is a former professional gridiron football defensive tackle and is the head coach for the Toronto Varsity Blues of U Sports football. He played professionally for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for three seasons. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2006.
Jamaica, New York, U.S.
Adams with the Toronto Varsity Blues in 2024 | |||||||||
| Toronto Varsity Blues | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Head coach | ||||||||
| CFL status | American | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | September 16, 1983 Jamaica, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 282 lb (128 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Islip High | ||||||||
| College | Villanova | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||
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Operations | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics as of 2009 | |||||||||
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College career
Adams played college football for the Villanova Wildcats from 2001 to 2005.[1] He was named a First-team All-Atlantic 10 in 2003, 2004 and 2005.[2]
Professional career
New York Jets
After going unselected in the 2006 NFL draft, Adams signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets in May 2006.[3] He participated in training camp and the preseason, but was waived with the final cuts on September 2, 2006.[4] He was re-signed to a practice roster agreement on December 6, 2006, where he remained to end the season.[4]
Adams was signed to a reserve/future contract in January 2007.[4] However, he was released near the end of pre-season on August 27, 2007.[5]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
On September 2, 2007, Adams was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[6] He played in two regular season games in 2007, where he had two defensive tackles. Adams had a breakout year during the 2008 season where he played in 16 regular season games and had 41 defensive tackles, including five tackles for a loss, nine sacks, and one forced fumble.
In 2009, he played in nine regular season games where he had 17 defensive tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for losses.[7] He signed a contract extension on January 6, 2010.[7] However, during 2010 training camp, he announced his retirement on June 8, 2010, noting that he was not able to continue playing.[6] He finished his playing career having appeared in 27 games, recording 60 defensive tackles and 11 sacks.[6]
Coaching career
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Adams joined the coaching staff of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the 2011 season as the team's strength & conditioning coordinator and assistant defensive line coach.[8][9]
Carleton Ravens
In 2013, Adams moved to CIS football and the expansion Carleton Ravens where he was hired as the team's strength & conditioning coordinator and defensive line coach.[8] During his three-year stint with the Ravens, he was also a recruiter for student-athletes from Ontario and Quebec.[1]
Waterloo Warriors
On February 26, 2016, it was announced that Adams had joined the Waterloo Warriors as the team's special teams, recruiting and video coordinator.[1] After one season, he was promoted to defensive coordinator for the 2017 season, while also retaining the title of recruiting coordinator.[10] The defence saw immediate improvement, as they moved from 435 points allowed in 2016 to 339 points allowed in 2017. In 2021, Adams added the title of assistant head coach.[11]
Toronto Varsity Blues
On January 5, 2024, it was announced that Adams had been hired as the head coach for the Toronto Varsity Blues.[12]
Personal life
Adams and his wife, Amrita, live in Mississauga and have one son and one daughter.[13]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA) (2024–present) | |||||
| 2024 | Toronto | 1-7 | 1-7 | 10th | |
| 2025 | Toronto | 1-7 | 1-7 | 11th | |
| Toronto: | 2-14 | 2-14 | |||
| Total: | 2-14 | ||||