Myles Adams secures spot on Seahawks roster in front of family and friends

RENTON, Wash. – It seems fitting that Seahawks defensive tackle Myles Adams secured his spot on the team’s 53-man roster down in Arlington, Texas.

Not only was it the site of one of the biggest days of his football life last week, it was also the city where Adams made his name on the football field and started the journey that led him to a spot on Seattle’s roster.

Adams went to high school at Mansfield Summit , less than 12 miles from AT&T Stadium. Adams dreamed of playing at the stadium he calls “Jerry World,” after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, when he was in high school, but his team never made it far enough in the postseason.

Last Friday, Adams finally got his chance.

Adams played a solid game in front of several dozen of his friends and family, finishing with six tackles and half a sack against his hometown team in a 27-26 loss. Adams and linebacker Alton Robinson combined to take down Will Grier in the first quarter.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Adams had made the Seahawks roster, the first time in his career that he has made an NFL roster out of training camp.

For Adams and his friends back in Arlington, it was an occasion worth celebrating.

Adams was a standout in almost everything at Summit, according to his former high school coaches. They rave about Adams’ work ethic and upbeat personality. He was the team’s starting center and dominated at several positions on the defensive line during his time as a Jaguar.

He also qualified for track and field state regionals in the shot put and discus and was even a part of the school’s ensemble choir. No matter what he got involved in, Adams stood out.

To his former coaches, Adams is a “legend” at Mansfield Summit. His picture appears on the school’s athletic department wall mural.

“He gave everything he had for football, but he also gave it for everything else,” Mansfield Summit defensive line coach Carter Thomason said. “He did it in the classroom, he did it for friends and family. … He’s never met a stranger, everybody that knew him likes him, and there is not a mean bone in his body kind of thing. He’s just one of those kids that is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime guy to coach.”

Adams played college ball at Rice University, where he had 94 career tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was named a team captain in 2019.

He signed with the Carolina Panthers after going undrafted in 2020 but was released by the Panthers a few months later. Adams signed with Seattle’s practice squad in December 2020 and made his debut last season in the Seahawks’ Week 15 game against the Rams.

He also played the next week against Chicago and finished his season with five assists and one quarterback hit.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider has been impressed with 6-foot-2, 290-pound Adams’ play this preseason. Adams finished with 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks in Seattle’s three games, and people around the league have started to notice.

“We had a number of calls on Myles,” Schneider said. “People wanted to trade for him, and we are just happy for him. The guy is the product of our environment and our culture, and he came in and took advantage of it. He’s a great guy and a very intensive competitor.”

For Adams, the chance to finally earn his roster spot in his hometown was a special feeling.

“I was there when it opened in the late 2000s, and (I was) able to actually play at Jerry World and not be on the Cowboys and show them why they should’ve picked me,” Adams said. “But I’m glad Seattle did.”

Adams is still a regular visitor at Mansfield Summit. He goes back to work out in the off-season and puts on an annual football camp in association with the BamFam Foundation, a nonprofit out of Austin, Texas.

Summit head football coach Channon Hall raved about Adams’ high “football IQ” and said that Adams is always willing to talk to and share his football knowledge with the program’s current players.

“Anytime he is here, he is available,” Hall said. “The kids will see him working, and they want to work out with him, work on D-line drills. I mean, he is always mentoring and teaching.”

Plenty of Adams’ family and friends made the short drive to AT&T Stadium to watch him play, but the high school coaches had to stay behind to coach the Summit’s season opener against Lake Ridge, which wound up being a 50-27 loss.

But they watched every play of the Seahawks-Cowboys game when they went home that night, and Thomason plans to take his family to New Orleans in early October for the Seahawks’ Week Five game against the Saints.

“I’ve been a lifetime Cowboys fan, but I am definitely a Seahawks fan this year,” Thomason said. “I’ll be watching every game that I can get down here in Texas.”