Long before Jerell Adams was drafted in the 2016 NFL draft, and before he wore garnet and black for the University of South Carolina on Saturdays, he was a breakout Scott’s Branch athlete.
The Pinewood native played basketball and football for the Eagles. There he put up staggering numbers in both sports. In two years at quarterback he threw for 689 yards and 12 touchdowns in a run happy offense. He also caught 21 passes for 581 yards and found paydirt 12 times as tight end. He had 96 tackles with five interceptions and a sack as a junior. He caught three touchdown passes as a tight end in the Shrine Bowl, and was the first player from Scott’s Branch to ever play in that game. He also played in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach. Adams led Scott’s Branch to a State Championship in football during his senior campaign.
On the hardwood Adams averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds as a junior.
He was a three-star football player by Rivals.com, the 10th best player in South Carolina and the 17th best tight end in the country.
After high school, Adams attended Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, where he was named to PrepStar’s All-Atlantic Region Class.
After a year in prep school, Adams chose to attend the University of South Carolina over Clemson University.
During his freshman season he earned SEC All-Freshman honors and caught four passes for 90 yards and a touchdown in nine games. His first catch was a 33-yard strike from Seth Strickland against the University of Alabama Birmingham.
During the 2013 season Adams played all 13 games. He caught 13 passes for 187 yards, and found the endzone twice. He was also named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll that year.
In 2014, Adams once again started in 13 games. He had 21 catches for 279 yards and had one touchdown. He had 17 of his catches and 220 yards come in the final six games of the season. He was once again named a member of the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll that year and named the Most Improved tight end during the spring.
In his senior season with the Gamecocks Adams was the second-leading receiver with 28 receptions and 421 yards. He found paydirt against Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee that season and recorded six catches for 105 yards against the Citadel.
Adams finished his collegiate career with 66 catches for 977 yards and seven scores. He was invited to play in the Senior Bowl and was named the recipient of the prestigious Dr. Harris Pastides Outstanding Student-Athlete Representative during the 2015 Garnet and Black Spring Game. The 6-foot-6, 231-pound tight end also earned a degree in Public Health before leaving the Gamecocks.
During Draft season Adams’ stock seemingly rose.
"Jerell Adams has all the traits to thrive at tight end in the NFL," says The Bleacher Report in a new video touting the former South Carolina star as a bigtime sleeper pick in the NFL Draft. "First, his measurables are almost identical to Travis Kelce coming out of college. This length and speed will make him an instant red zone threat. Adams was a high school basketball star, which explains his quick feet and excellent route-running. Watch him snatch passes out of the sky just like rebounds. And when he gets the ball in the open field, he bounces off tacklers and runs with authority. He's no one trick pony, either. He will be a dominant run blocker from day one."
At the NFL Combine Adams recorded a 4.64-40 yard time, the best-recorded tight end time of the year. He had a 32.5 inch vertical jump, 117 inch broad jump, 7.05 second 3 cone drill, a 4.31 second 20 yard shuttle and a 11.52 second 60 yard shuttle respectively.
Adams was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Giants.
“He's a 6-foot-5, 247-pound former basketball player who fits the size profile of the tight ends teams are looking for. He'll have to show he can block in the run game in order to get on the field,” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote. “But as was the case with fifth-round running back Paul Perkins, he's not staring at any frighteningly immovable obstacles on the Giants' depth chart at his position.
The Giants love guys who do great things at the scouting combine, and Adams' 4.64 time in the 40-yard dash was the best this year among tight ends in Indianapolis. He admits he needs to be sharper in and out of his breaks, but he was a reliable pass-catcher for the Gamecocks. The Giants view him as an athletic player who can refine his game at the pro level.”
“Most underrated (tight end) in the NFL draft,” Adams said on Twitter. “I’ll show the whole world.”
