Keion Adams hasn't met his new teammate James Harrison, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know him. He knows Harrison, at least from afar, and his story is one from which Adams draws inspiration.
Harrison was an undrafted free agent coming out of Kent State and was cut four times by two teams before he finally made the Steelers in 2004. It was a long road for Harrison, yet he kept working. Thirteen seasons later, he's still going strong _ a five-time Pro-Bowler, two-time Super Bowl champion and 2008 NFL defensive player of the year.
Adams, the Steelers' seventh-round draft pick, sees a lot of similarities between himself and Harrison. He, too, played at a Mid-American Conference school (Western Michigan) and was considered a priority free agent or late-round pick because of his size (6-foot-2, 243 pounds). The linebacker was highly productive in college, as he finished his career with 124 tackles, 14{ sacks and five forced fumbles.
"His work ethic and his story and everything that it took for him to be here motivates me," Adams said of Harrison. "I am definitely ready to learn from him what it took to get to where he is, to get to be the great player that he is. I want to get around and him and be around him as much as I can and learn as much as I can from him.
"It really shows you that no matter what the situation, you can accomplish anything and get to where you need to be as long as you put your mind to it. I just want to work hard, learn and make sure I am doing everything I need to do to get there."
Adams is a bit of a sleeper pick, and he is the kind of player teams love to find in the late rounds of the draft. He has all the raw skills _ speed, explosiveness off the ball, good instincts _ to be a great pass rusher. The key word, though, is raw, as he has a lot of refining to do on his technique.
He is also undersized, but undersized players make it all the time. That's mostly because there is no real way to measure a man's heart, work ethic and desire. If those three things truly are the difference between making it and not, then my money is on Adams to become a good NFL player.
Adams has to get stronger if he wants to be an every down player, but he could be a pass-rush specialist almost immediately. He will struggle against the run initially because of is size, but he wasn't drafted to be a run stopper.
He is a pure pass rusher, and if you watch his film like I have, his first step explosion and his ability to blow past offensive linemen jumps off the screen. His athletic ability and speed made him an intriguing prospect, but the Steelers also love his attitude, how coachable he is and his work ethic.
All of that is why he knows he has a chance to follow Harrison's footsteps and make it in the NFL. And Pittsburgh is the place for him because the Steelers have a long history of churning out great pass rushers.
"There have been a lot of great pass rushers that have played here over the years, so that was exciting for me to be drafted," Adams said. "And there some great pass rushers like Bud Dupree and James (Harrison) that are here. I know I am so far from what I know I can be so I am just excited to finally get started and looking forward to playing alongside those guys and learning.
"It is a rich history of linebackers and a rich history of great defense here with the Steelers, so I'm glad to be here because I wanted to be here."
Adams, who was an excellent basketball player in high school, was a part of a special class at Western Michigan. The Broncos were one of the worst teams in the country when he arrived in 2013 but went 13-1 last season, won the MAC and earned a spot in a New Year's Six bowl.
He said the experience of being part of building a program from the ground up is something on which he can always draw. It also shows he is a winner, if nothing else, and that's just one more reason to like him, root for him and believe he can become a good player.
"When I signed to play (at Western Michigan) we were awful," Adams said. "All that hard work we all put in together, to see it all finally pay off the way it did last year was unbelievable. It was something I can always look back to because we weren't handed anything, we worked for everything. I learned how hard you have to work to get what you want and how to fight through adversity and tough times."
That is a good foundation to have because, like every rookie, there will certainly be adversity to overcome ahead. And given Adams' experience and his attitude, there is no reason to believe he can't thrive again, this time with the Steelers.
