Like Father, Like Son
9/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
saw 9,000 fans trying to will his Bobcats to victory, 90 young men and a dozen coaches withwhom he’ll face the rest of a still-promising season, and a team visiting Bobcat Stadium with
designs on handing Kramer a third straight loss as Montana State’s head football coach in a
season opener.
But the person he didn’t see may have been the most important.
"When the ball was in the air on that long pass to Junior, when it was coming down, I could
just see Alton," Kramer said of the two Alton Adamses who have been in his life for the last
21 months. It was the younger Adams, Junior, who made the crucial fourth-quarter catch that
led to a Nate Cook field goal. That three-pointer, and EJ Cochrane’s with three seconds to
play, gave MSU the cusion it needed to beat I-AA Independent Saint Mary’s on Saturday.
But it was the older Adams, who died last winter after a long illness, whose presence Kramer
felt. "I could see him. I could feel him. I knew he was there, and I think Junior does, too."
Alton Adams, by all accounts, touched many lives. He was a fine athlete in his day who
coached and counseled countless young people, many of whom overcame obstacles to lead
productive lives.
But his legacy to so many will be the one that has carried his name for nearly 23 years. Like his
father, and like so many other people whose lives Alton Adams Sr. touched, Junior has
overcome obstacles. His size overshadowed his spectacular athletic ability in the eyes of some
college recruiters, but that ability landed him at Oregon State, a Pac 10 program that was
building to national prominence at the time.
During his third year at Oregon State, an unfortunate set of circumstances led Adams into
trouble. But instead of fading into the landscape, Adams faced his problems. He capitalized on
a fresh start at MSU, and was in the middle of arguably the most spectacular
first-half-of-the-season in Division I-AA last fall when he was hit by a knee injury in game
seven.
Again, Adams met his problems head-on. He came back after missing three games to finish
with 218 yards receiving in the last two games. But off-season surgery to repair his damaged
PCL left him not only on the outside looking in at MSU’s spring drills, but was enough of a
hindrance all summer to leave his status for his senior season in doubt.
All of the other adversity Adams has faced, though, becomes miniscule compared to what he
faced last February, when his father passed away after a long series of medical problems. The
resulting heartache caused a loss of focus academically, and led to a summer of schoolwork to
reclaim what had always been a good academic career.
Through it all he carried on, missing his Dad, who he has called his best friend and biggest
supporter.
Adams has become one of the most popular Bobcats in years, more for his humility, the
effervescence of his spirit and his tireless smile than for anything he’s accomplished on the field.
In the days leading up to the season, Kramer said Adams was as focused as any athlete he’d
been around, an attribute Kramer credits to Adams’ upbringing.
Adams’ impact on the game Saturday, like the impact he’s had on the MSU program, came asmuch from the little things than the big. When Ryan Johnson was rumbling 47 yards on MSU’sfirst drive of the second half, it was Adams that was downfield blocking, trying to spring atouchdown run. When young players are struggling, it’s Adams that is there, barking andencouraging. When quarterback Tyler Thomas is ready for extra throwing work, his formerOregon State teammate is there catching passes.
So when that pass settled into Junior’s hands in the fourth quarter Saturday, Kramer couldn’thelp but think of the man who was there for Junior Adams through so much. And he couldn’thelp but smile.
"But I know what Alton would have done," Kramer said. "He would have just shrugged hisshoulders. And you know what Junior did? He just got up and found the huddle. That’s thekind of kid he is."
designs on handing Kramer a third straight loss as Montana State’s head football coach in a
season opener.
But the person he didn’t see may have been the most important.
"When the ball was in the air on that long pass to Junior, when it was coming down, I could
just see Alton," Kramer said of the two Alton Adamses who have been in his life for the last
21 months. It was the younger Adams, Junior, who made the crucial fourth-quarter catch that
led to a Nate Cook field goal. That three-pointer, and EJ Cochrane’s with three seconds to
play, gave MSU the cusion it needed to beat I-AA Independent Saint Mary’s on Saturday.
But it was the older Adams, who died last winter after a long illness, whose presence Kramer
felt. "I could see him. I could feel him. I knew he was there, and I think Junior does, too."
Alton Adams, by all accounts, touched many lives. He was a fine athlete in his day who
coached and counseled countless young people, many of whom overcame obstacles to lead
productive lives.
But his legacy to so many will be the one that has carried his name for nearly 23 years. Like his
father, and like so many other people whose lives Alton Adams Sr. touched, Junior has
overcome obstacles. His size overshadowed his spectacular athletic ability in the eyes of some
college recruiters, but that ability landed him at Oregon State, a Pac 10 program that was
building to national prominence at the time.
During his third year at Oregon State, an unfortunate set of circumstances led Adams into
trouble. But instead of fading into the landscape, Adams faced his problems. He capitalized on
a fresh start at MSU, and was in the middle of arguably the most spectacular
first-half-of-the-season in Division I-AA last fall when he was hit by a knee injury in game
seven.
Again, Adams met his problems head-on. He came back after missing three games to finish
with 218 yards receiving in the last two games. But off-season surgery to repair his damaged
PCL left him not only on the outside looking in at MSU’s spring drills, but was enough of a
hindrance all summer to leave his status for his senior season in doubt.
All of the other adversity Adams has faced, though, becomes miniscule compared to what he
faced last February, when his father passed away after a long series of medical problems. The
resulting heartache caused a loss of focus academically, and led to a summer of schoolwork to
reclaim what had always been a good academic career.
Through it all he carried on, missing his Dad, who he has called his best friend and biggest
supporter.
Adams has become one of the most popular Bobcats in years, more for his humility, the
effervescence of his spirit and his tireless smile than for anything he’s accomplished on the field.
In the days leading up to the season, Kramer said Adams was as focused as any athlete he’d
been around, an attribute Kramer credits to Adams’ upbringing.
Adams’ impact on the game Saturday, like the impact he’s had on the MSU program, came asmuch from the little things than the big. When Ryan Johnson was rumbling 47 yards on MSU’sfirst drive of the second half, it was Adams that was downfield blocking, trying to spring atouchdown run. When young players are struggling, it’s Adams that is there, barking andencouraging. When quarterback Tyler Thomas is ready for extra throwing work, his formerOregon State teammate is there catching passes.
So when that pass settled into Junior’s hands in the fourth quarter Saturday, Kramer couldn’thelp but think of the man who was there for Junior Adams through so much. And he couldn’thelp but smile.
"But I know what Alton would have done," Kramer said. "He would have just shrugged hisshoulders. And you know what Junior did? He just got up and found the huddle. That’s thekind of kid he is."
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