Douglas O. Adams (November 3, 1949 – August 9, 1997) was an American professional

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who played four seasons with the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL).

Early life

Adams was the son of Armic and Edna Adams. He attended Xenia High School in

Xenia, Ohio Xenia ( ) is a city in Greene County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located in southwestern Ohio, it is east of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton and is part of the Greater Dayton, Dayton metropolitan area as well as the Miami Valley region. As o ...

. He was named XHS MVP in 1966, MVP in the Western Ohio League in 1966, and selected to WOL, Southwestern, and All-Ohio All-Star teams. He was named 1st Team Scholastic All-American and a High School All-American in 1966. He also ran track. Adams was named to the Xenia Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2011.

College career

Adams played

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Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

and started for three seasons at OSU, helping the Buckeyes compile a 27–2 record. He was one of the "Super Sophs," a starting linebacker who helped lead the Buckeyes to the 1968 national title. in Adams' three years, the Buckeyes won two Big 10 titles and played in two Rose Bowls.

Professional career

Adams was selected by the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

in the seventh round of the

1971 NFL draft The 1971 NFL draft was held January 28–29, 1971, at the Belmont Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York. The Boston Patriots, who did not officially change their name to New England Patriots until after the draft, used the first overall pick ...

. After he was cut by the Broncos, he was signed by the

in early September. In his four years with the Bengals, he played in 49 games, starting 10. In 1972, his second season, he intercepted 3 passes, returning them for 44 yards. He retired after the 1974 season at age 25 after battling a knee injury, and he returned to Ohio State to earn a dental degree.

Personal life

Adams was a dentist with a practice near Mt. Orab, and he resided in Georgetown, both in Brown County, Ohio. He died at age 47 while

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on August 9, 1997, when he was hit by a driver who had fallen asleep. After his death, to honor Adams, Xenia High School raised funds for the new Doug Adams Fitness Center, which opened in the fall of 2000. His career is memorialized in a display case just outside the room. The Buccaneers play in Doug Adams Stadium.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Doug 1949 births 1997 deaths Players of American football from Ohio American football linebackers Ohio State Buckeyes football players Cincinnati Bengals players Sportspeople from Xenia, Ohio Road incident deaths in Ohio Cycling road incident deaths