Buccaneers.com | News - Carrying On the Legacy

Head Coach Jon Gruden believes the Bay area will grow quite fond of the soft-spoken but driven Gaines Adams

Print Version

Related News & Other Stories

Juran Bolden, four others trimmed from roster to make room for new signees

Review the Bucs' 2007 draft

Inside Look: Gaines Adams' First Day with the Buccaneers

Carrying On the Legacy

May 01, 2007 - As soft-spoken as Gaines Adams is, Tampa Bay’s number-one draft pick is loud and clear about his mission now that he’s officially a Buccaneer. That mission, he says, is to continue the custom of dominance established by the Bucs’ defense during the last decade.

Adams has rooted for the Buccaneers for much of his life, and he responds without hesitation when asked what he considers the franchise’s defining aspect.

“The tradition of defense,” he said. “They’ve had some great players before, and they’ve got some now. I’m glad that I’m a part of this family, and hopefully I’m going to continue the legacy.”

That is a worthy goal, of course, for the first defensive player taken in the 2007 NFL Draft, but it is also a tall order.

Up until last season’s uncharacteristic struggles, the Buccaneers’ defense had finished in the top 10 in the NFL’s rankings for nine consecutive seasons (1997-2005). That tied with the L.A. Rams of the 1970s for the second-longest such streak in the NFL’s post-merger history.

Built upon names such as Nickerson, Sapp and Lynch and sustained by such current defensive standouts as DE Simeon Rice, CB Ronde Barber and LB Derrick Brooks, the Buccaneers’ defense has been far from a one-hit wonder. In fact, it’s likely this generation’s gold standard for defenses in the NFL, at least in terms of a sustained level of excellence.

"It’s just great watching those guys on TV and having those guys be some of your heroes. And now getting the chance to play with them and be as a family is a great honor."

Much of the credit for that goes to the unit’s architect for that entire period, Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin. In a word, Kiffin’s influence on the Buccaneers’ defense – and the NFL as a whole – has been profound. Since assuming his current post in 1996, Kiffin has guided the Buccaneers’ defense to two number-one rankings in the league, including the top spot during the 2002 season, when the team captured its first Super Bowl championship. Overall, the Bucs’ defense has ranked among the NFL’s top five in seven of Kiffin’s 11 seasons at the helm.

That success hasn’t been lost on the Buccaneers’ newest defensive acquisition. Not only did Adams admit to rooting for the Buccaneers as he grew up, he even patterned his game in many ways after Rice. A speed rusher off the edge with the athletic ability to drop back to cover intermediate routes, Rice has flourished in Kiffin’s defensive scheme, racking up 69.5 sacks in his six seasons with the Buccaneers. Adams demonstrated similar traits while at Clemson, and he’s eager to hone his skills under the guidance of Kiffin.

“I did that in college,” said Adams of playing a similar role to that of Rice’s with the Buccaneers. “But with Coach Kiffin, I know he’s going to be able to elevate that part of my game even more. So I’m glad that I got a little taste of it in college so I will be able to expand on what I’ve been doing in college.

“It’s just great watching those guys on TV and having those guys be some of your heroes. And now getting the chance to play with them and be as a family is a great honor.”

While Adams’ reverence for his teammates – many of whom he considers outright defensive legends – is a testament to the young man’s humble nature, the Buccaneers are looking for the talented Adams to make his own mark once he’s on the field. In fact, they are counting on his pass-rushing skills to improve a defense that struggled last season to pressure opposing quarterbacks. For the second straight season, the unit’s sack total dropped.

The Bucs, obviously, want to reverse that unfortunate trend, and if this year’s defense-heavy draft is any indication, phase one of the plan is already underway. Buccaneer coaches are hoping to infuse a traditionally strong defense with quality youth – youth from whom the Buccaneers are expecting big things and youth Gruden said would be captained by Adams.

“Gaines Adams – we did a lot of research on,” Gruden said. “He comes from a good family. He’s a self-made man. He played eight-man football, went to a prep school, went to Clemson and continued to take steps forward in his career as a player and as a person. Although he’s a man of few words, he’s a class act, and I think this community in Tampa will learn to really like him and appreciate him.”

That would be true most especially if he, as expected, becomes another in a long line of great Buccaneers defenders. It’s something to which he aspires and something to which he says he’s wholeheartedly dedicating himself.

Still, it won’t be an easy task. As much as he believes in his newest charge, the ever-intense Gruden couldn’t resist reminding Adams of what could turn out to be his first regular-season test, a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and their standout left tackle.

“You get Walter Jones in your opener,” Gruden told the rookie. “No pressure on you, Gaines, but we better get to work here, brother.”