NASHVILLE— Jamal Adams is on a new team, surrounded by new teammates.
And, following a frustrating two seasons, he also has a new outlook on life.
"It's been tough," Adams said on Wednesday. "I've realized you can love the game, but the game doesn't love you back. And I've realized that no matter what, you have to keep your head down and keep a close circle. I was at the top of the chart, the highest of the highs, the best of the best. And (then) I was at the bottom.
"Now I am working myself right back to the top."
Adams, signed by the Titans earlier this month, practiced for the first time with the team on Wednesday.
Decked out in No.33, the veteran safety recovered a fumble, and he also got to the quarterback in a hurry on a blitz. In a game, it would've surely been a sack.
"It was great," Adams said. "To come out here and run around with my new teammates, it felt great."
Adams pointed to the sky when asked what it will take for him to regain his Pro Bowl form in Tennessee after playing in just one game in 2022, and nine games in 2023.
"The man above – that's all I can do is put my faith in Him, and continue to work hard, and continue to be a good teammate," Adams said. "I'm going to come out here and bust my ass."
A first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft, Adams has played in 80 games over seven NFL seasons. He's been credited with 494 tackles, 21.5 sacks and four interceptions, along with 36 passes defensed, in his career while playing with the Jets and Seahawks.
Adams played his first three NFL seasons with the Jets before joining the Seahawks in 2020 via a trade.
Adams was limited to just nine games in 2023 due to a concussion, and his 2022 season was also cut short because of a serious leg injury that left him unable to walk, in a wheelchair, pondering retirement.
"I love the game," said Adams, who has been named to three Pro Bowls, and he's also been named All-Pro twice. "I wasn't healthy the last two years, and I'm getting back to my stride."
