Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
Rodney Adams played wide receiver in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears, and New York Jets. Now, in retirement, Adams is making headlines as the first NFL player to join a pro ultimate frisbee team and recently left that team to join a pro pickleball league.
While he was an excellent player, Adams didn’t get much recognition in the NFL. He was drafted by the Vikings in 2017, but was waived in the same year and re-signed to the practice squad. Then, a few months later, Adams signed with the Colts, hoping for a better future in the NFL. However, due to unknown reasons, he announced his retirement months after this signing. While many thought that Adams’ career was over in less than a year, he was reinstated to the Colts in 2020. The Bears then drafted him, but he was yet again signed to the practice team. By 2021, for a single day, Adams had finally made it on an official roster in the NFL for the Bears. However, the following day, he was put back on the practice squad. He signed with the Jets in 2022, but retired soon after due to a non-football-related injury.
Adams may not have had a successful NFL career, but off the field, he’s made quite a life for himself. He is a proud father of two daughters, happily married, and eagerly anticipating the arrival of a baby boy. Though recently, three years post-retirement, Adams has been craving competition again.
His first thought to scratch his competitive itch was joining the Colorado Summits to play Frisbee. One day, Adam was scrolling through his phone and happened upon a video of people playing ultimate frisbee. He reported, “I just saw a bunch of people running, jumping, catching frisbees, and thought, that’s kinda like football.” With his newfound love of the game, he decided to go pro. He did a private tryout for the Summits and spoke with the coach. He was officially signed in February. Tim Kefalas, the head coach of the Summits, discussed how Adams was a speed receiver, giving him the background to become the fastest player on the Summits by far.
Many fans of Frisbee and the Summits commented on the signing post. While many praised him, others had reasonable questions. One commenter asked about how many fouls he would have, considering he’s going from a contact to a non-contact sport. Other commenters mentioned how they used to joke about NBA and NFL athletes discovering ultimate frisbee and taking over, leaving pro ultimate players without jobs. Many said that the joke may be a reality now. While many of the comments brought up interesting topics, their questions will remain unanswered.
Adams recently asked out of his Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) contract so that he could join the Pro Pickleball Association. This shocking change comes just about three weeks after he announced he was joining the Summits. According to Adams, he became interested in pickleball during his time in the NFL when introduced to the sport by a teammate. He recently began attending Picklr Loveland, an indoor pickleball facility in Colorado, where he has trained with the owner, Leslie Arnold. He has also met and gotten advice from pro player Eli Steiner and Pickleball Hall of Fame inductee Kyle Yates.
If successful, Adams would be the first former NFL player to sign a contract with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). Not only that, he’d be the first ex-NFL player to sign for the UFA, to then retract that contract, and sign with the PPA. Adams certainly has a lot of hope for his future professional career, and only time will tell if his ambitions translate into achievements.
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