He attended Fork Union Military Academy in 2001 and recorded 58 tackles, 22 sacks, and two interceptions in 10 games.

He was a three-year starter at Cambridge Academy, a small private school which only had an 8-man football team, where he was a dominant wide receiver and defensive end.

[citation needed] At Cambridge, he was named to the Greenwood Touchdown Club/Index-Journal All-Lakelands Team (which included four counties).

[2] In addition, Adams was named to all five All-America teams acknowledged by the NCAA in 2006, and was recognized as one of seven unanimous first-team All-Americans that year.

Adams was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round as the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

He also played in Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff loss to the New York Giants and finished the game with five tackles and one sack.

The following week, Adams recorded another interception of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to seal a Buccaneers victory.

[6] [7] Key Adams was taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina on the morning of January 17, 2010, after his girlfriend found him at home.

The coroner confirmed, after an autopsy, that Adams died of cardiac arrest due to cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart).