Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Andrew Adams dialed in for an interview with Rich Salgado on "Big Daddy & Friends" prior to Super Bowl LV to tell Sportsnaut about his preparations for the big game and the impact Tom Brady has had on the team throughout an extraordinary season.
The Bucs won three road playoff games to earn the right to host Super Bowl Sunday at Raymond James Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs, and Adams has been right there as Tampa Bay rolled through the NFC.
Andrew Adams: What Tom Brady is accomplishing is "crazy"
Adams spoke to Sportsnaut about how Brady has set the tone for this year’s Buccaneers team, from preparing and practicing throughout the week and carrying it over to the field on Sundays.
“It’s crazy seeing him every day what he does in practice, what he brings to the team on game day. He’s 43, and he’s still doing it,” Adams said.
Having a six-time Super Bowl champion join the roster has certainly helped create a winning mentality around the Bucs organization. However, it was hardly a slam dunk that Brady would be able to turn Tampa Bay from a 7-9 record the previous year into a championship contender.
All that’s a testament to the work these new-look Bucs put in as they acclimated to arguably their biggest acquisition in franchise history by signing Brady last offseason. Despite the absence of a preseason and regular training camp, Brady has brought his winning magic from New England to Tampa Bay.
But this is not to detract from what other players have contributed — including Adams himself.
Usually a special teams player, Adams was pressed into duty in the NFC title game after Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead went down with injuries. Adams was in on a key breakup of an Aaron Rodgers pass at the goal line late in the fourth quarter, which helped the Bucs secure a 31-26 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Asked what his process is to get ready for the NFL’s grand finale, Adams suggested he isn’t changing much despite the heightened stakes of Sunday’s Super Bowl showdown.
“Stay in your routine. Don’t overthink it…Go out and do what you’ve done 100 times before,” Adams said, “That’s how you stay levelheaded and stay in the game.”
That approach seemed to bear fruit when Adams was unexpectedly thrust into the Bucs’ starting defense, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see him make a big splash play in Super Bowl LV.
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