ASU's Corey Adams breathes life into defensive line
by Doug Haller - Oct. 6, 2010
The Arizona Republic
Dave Seibert/The Arizona Republic
Since returning from surgery Sept. 18 against Wisconsin, Corey Adams' snaps have increased each week. He got 17 against Oregon and 21 last Saturday against Oregon State.
Corey Adams refers to himself as Arizona State's human "oxygen tank." When a defensive tackle needs a breather, out Adams trots, ready to relieve.
He chuckles at this, although he finds little humor in it. For the past two seasons, Adams, a former standout at Scottsdale Saguaro High, has failed to make a significant impact because of one injury after another.
First it was his back, which required surgery and cut short his freshman season. Then in this year's camp, Adams suffered a concussion. Not much later, just a week before ASU started preparing for its season opener, he felt his left knee pop during 1-on-1 drills. The 6-foot-3, 294-pound sophomore finished practice, but he went to bed that night thinking, "Please don't let it be a tear. I really don't need this. Please don't let it happen."
The next morning, as soon as Adams opened his eyes, he knew he had a problem. Hours later, he learned he had torn his meniscus, an injury he had suffered as a high school sophomore. For Adams, it was a minor victory simply because it meant he'd have to miss only a few weeks.
"You realize that at this point, if I get a bruise on my bicep, I'm thinking it's a tear," Adams said. "But yeah, it was a relief. If you're going to do something to your knee, you're hoping it's just the meniscus. It was depressing, but I tried to tell myself it could be worse."
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