Phillip Matthew Adams (July 20, 1988 – April 8, 2021) was an American professional football cornerback and murderer.

He also played for the New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, and Atlanta Falcons.

Phillip Matthew Adams was born on July 20, 1988, in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

In his senior year, he was a First Team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection after registering 48 tackles and three interceptions.

[9] In week 16 against the St. Louis Rams on December 26, 2010, he broke his left ankle while blocking on the opening kickoff of the second half.

[13] On September 21, 2011, the New England Patriots signed Adams and Landon Cohen after season-ending injuries to Dan Koppen and Myron Pryor.

During a standoff with the police the next day, on April 8, Adams fatally shot himself, according to the York County Sheriff's Office.

[30] His father, Alonzo, suggested that his football career may have played a role in the shooting, stating that the sport "messed him up".

[29] An autopsy revealed that Adams suffered from an "unusually severe" case of the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

[31] He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.