Adrian, Sr. was a circuit judge who had been a sub on Yale's football team of 1880.
Adrian was selected All-Southern in 1912 by Nathan Stauffer of Collier's Weekly.
[3] In 1917, Camp Gordon, the second military opponent Alabama faced as the country mobilized for World War I, beat the Tide 19–6.
Camp Gordon had several players with college experience, including Adrian.
[4] Adrian was "one of the most brilliant member of the Alabama bar, having an unusual aptitude for legal research.