He attended and played football at Waukegan High School, and after graduating, attended University of Illinois, where he played football for the Fighting Illini as a tackle and roomed with future Green Bay Packers star Ray Nitschke.
[5][6] Upon graduating, he served in the United States Army until his discharge in 1961, having attained the rank of Second Lieutenant.
He then briefly taught at Highland Park High School, before transferring to Deerfield, where he remained until his retirement.
He became head coach in 1967 after Kay left to become defensive coordinator at Indiana State University.
During Adams' tenure, his teams suffered only one losing season, attained a lifetime record of 220-56, and were Illinois State Champions in 1975.