Where Are They Now?
DeMoine Adams: Putting The “I” in “Win”.
DeMoine Adams was born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. DeMoine was met with adversity from the beginning, the day of his birth, to be exact. Adams’ mother and father were teenagers in high school and were in no position to raise a child alone, so as the old saying goes, it would take a village’s help to raise him. His grandmother and great-grandparents primarily raised DeMoine, but his birth parents would still play an active role in his upbringing, along with the help of extended family. As a young kid, DeMoine was shy and quiet. He had a stutter and was mocked and bullied for it. At the age of seven, DeMoine started to play football, among other sports such as baseball and basketball. Although the football team was never very good, it gave DeMoine something to do after school and was an outlet for him.
Entering high school, DeMoine was still quiet, kept to himself, and tried to be like the other kids to avoid unwanted attention or criticism. However, there was an area where DeMoine would stand out: football. When it came to football, Adams would find himself on another level. During his junior year, Adams started to get the attention of D1 schools. Over the summer after his junior year, DeMoine would get invites to football camps almost daily, but one issue would keep recurring: the cost of attending these camps. Some of these camps were $500 or more, and with Adams working at the local movie theater part-time during the summer, they were definitely out of his budget. That was until one day, he got an invite to a camp that was $150; while still not cheap, it was much more affordable than almost every other camp. That camp was being put on by a team DeMoine had never even seen play on TV, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. So, with it being the most affordable camp out there, DeMoine would make the trip to Lincoln.
When he arrived at the camp, Turner Gill soon greeted him, forming a solid relationship. This helped DeMoine come out of his shell and build confidence in himself. Adams would have an amazing camp and put up impressive numbers in their drills, including running a 4.5 40-yard dash. At the camp, Tom Osborne told DeMoine that they would be watching him and that he would need to do three things: keep working hard, stay out of trouble, and get his ACT score up. Even though no mention of a scholarship was made, just hearing those words from Osborne motivated him to stay the course and do what he needed to get done.
Now, in his senior year, DeMoine knew what he had to do if he wanted to play football at the D1 level. On the field, he would take care of business. He had such a dominant season that he earned first-team all-state defensive end honors, Arkansas Defensive Player of the Year honors, and even a USA Today honorable-mention All-America selection. That once quiet kid had now taken ownership and became a leader to not only his teammates but his classmates as well. Off the field, he knew his ACT score of 13 wouldn’t cut it. So, in need of help, he would go to his high school guidance counselor. His guidance counselor would get Adams into ACT prep classes and help him find study material. After taking the ACT seven times, DeMoine would score a 21, which is precisely what he needed to be academically eligible to enroll at the University of Nebraska. DeMoine did everything Tom Osborne told him to do, and with that, DeMoine was offered a full-ride athletic scholarship. 
In 1998, DeMoine arrived in Lincoln. He redshirted his first year, which allowed him to focus on training in the weight room, learn more about the X’s and O’s, and bond with his teammates. Unfortunately, he didn’t focus on his grades, and after getting a 1.6 GPA, he was put on probation. DeMoine would be reminded of all the resources he had at the university, but most importantly, he was a student-athlete, and being a student came before being an athlete. This was a major wake-up call for DeMoine as he knew he wouldn’t get any more chances after this. DeMoine would take full advantage of the university’s resources and get his GPA up to 3.7. Even after getting off academic probation, he would continue to use those resources and make more lifestyle changes because he wanted to be the best version of himself that he could be.
DeMoine started seeing playing time as the backup right rush end in the 1999 season. He went on to play in 11 games and record five tackles, two tackles for loss, half a sack, and a 37-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. During the Big 12 Championship game against Texas, he broke his middle finger on his right hand but still saw action in the Fiesta Bowl, where Nebraska would go on to beat Tennessee 31-21.
During the 2000 season, DeMoine played in every game, including four starts. He finished the year with twelve tackles, one tackle for a loss, five QB hurries, and a single pass break up. His best performance came against No. 23 Notre Dame where he recorded three tackles and was a problem all game for the Fighting Irish. Nebraska would carry on to beat Notre Dame 27-24 in a thrilling overtime victory. Adams would go on to record a tackle or a QB hurry in almost every game that season, including the Alamo Bowl. Unhappy with his performance during the year, DeMoine would make it a point to train to the extreme; doing everything he could to leave no doubt in the coach’s minds that he was a starter. 
His off-season training would pay off and in 2001 DeMoine would have his breakout year and started all 12 games at right rush end, causing problems for offensives all year long. He led the team with 5.5 sacks while recording eight tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles, and 25 tackles. His performance would earn him honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors. Nebraska finished the regular season 11-1 and earned a spot in the Rose Bowl against Maimi for a chance at the National Championship. Although Nebraska had a solid offense and one of the best defenses in the country, they would lose 37-14 to a Miami team, which many consider one of the best teams ever.
Entering his senior year, expectations were high. How would a team that just lost in the National Championship respond? Ultimately, Nebraska would be plagued with injuries throughout the year and finish the season with a 7-7 record. DeMoine would be a part of a rotation of rush ends throughout the year, starting in eight games. While he may not have had the best performance in his senior year, Adams still made a huge impact on defense. He would finish the year with 34 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, six QB hurries, and 3.5 sacks. After the season was over major changes would happen to not only Nebraska but to DeMoine. Frank Solich would bring in a new defensive staff, led by defensive coordinator, Bo Pelini. When it came to DeMoine Adams, his time at Nebraska was over and with that his sights turned to getting draft to the NFL.
In April of that year, DeMoine would wait for that phone call from a NFL team, telling him he was being drafted. That phone call would never come. After not hearing his name be called, DeMoine would fall into a near-depressive state. He ignored calls from his agent, not wanting to try to go to a training camp. After this he would enroll in grad school and try to live a normal life. In spring of 2004, DeMoine knew that the fire to play in the NFL was still burning inside him and he could no longer ignore it, so DeMoine would seek try-outs on various NFL teams, but would not find a home on an NFL roster. His football career was not yet over, as the Edmonton Eskiumos of the CFL would call DeMoine and bring him in for a tryout. He would eventually be signed to their practice squad and play with them for nearly a year and a half. Come 2005, DeMoine would reunite with Turner Gill, who was on the staff of the Green Bay Packers. In Green Bay, he would mainly just play on special teams, but that kid from Pine Bluff, Arkansas could now say he was officially an NFL player. DeMoine would be released by the Packers at the end of that season. Over the next few years DeMoine would play in the NFL and AFL (Arena Football League), this included stops with the Tennessee Titans, San Franciso 49ers, Nashville Kats, and the San Jose SaberCats. 
With the days of playing football in his past, Adams would shift his focus into a new career path. While he wanted to return home to warmer weather and be closer to family, DeMoine knew all of his connections and resources where in Lincoln, Nebraska, so he moved back in Lincoln and accepted a job working for the university. In 2011, DeMoine would be approached with a job opportunity to join TeamMates as their scholarship coordinator and after talking with Tom Osborne, the co-founder of TeamMates, Adams graciously accepted the position and would remain at that position for five years before being promoted to program director. 
TeamMates is a non-profit mentoring program that was founded in 1991 by Tom and Nancy Osborne. Coach Osborne felt that the athletes at Nebraska could make a major impact in the lives of middle school students. What once started with 22 football players visiting Lincoln Public Schools, has now grown into thousands of mentors and mentees, all across the Midwest. While the size and scale of TeamMates as grown, the mission as remained the same; just be there. With as little as 30 minutes a week, just being there as a mentor for a young child can change everything. To learn more about TeamMates please visit https://teammates.org/. Here you can learn the history of TeamMates, how to become a mentor, or how to make a tax-deductible donation.
DeMoine would be sought out by the University of Nebraska Foundation. They rolled out the red carpet for DeMoine, showing him what else was out there, and offering him the position of director of development. While DeMoine loved his job with TeamMates, the offer was too good to not accept, and he knew he had what it took to lead an organization. Before leaving TeamMates, DeMoine would talk with Osborne, telling him that if the CEO or similar position would come up to keep him in mind. DeMoine would spend the next two years at the UNL Foundation before Coach Osborne would reach out to him. Coach wanted to bring DeMoine back to TeamMates but this time as CEO. DeMoine accepted the job and remains in that position to this day. 
When DeMoine isn’t working at TeamMates, he is running his own business called, The Game Plan, where he teaches leadership and gives motivational speeches to inspire others to be greater, to be leaders, and be winners in life. DeMoine is also an advocate for CPR and first aid training, after near tragedy would strike in January of 2024. One night in the middle of January, DeMoine would wake up with tightness in his chest, dizziness, and lightheadedness. After going to the bathroom, he would collapse. DeMoines wife, Fara, would rush over to her husband and find him non-responsive. Fara Adams immediately called 911. The dispatcher, Joey Mims, would walk Fara through the steps of CPR over the phone. While Fara works as an occupational therapy assistant, and was trained to do CPR, she had never needed to perform it up until that moment. Fara Adams, with the help of the 911 dispatcher, was able to get DeMoine back to a responsive state after minutes of chest compressions. Shortly after, Lincoln Fire and Rescue arrived at their home and took DeMoine to the hospital. DeMoine would then find out he suffered a pulmonary embolism, which is when an artery in the lungs becomes blocked or clogged. DeMoine would go on to make a full recovery and is back to full strength.
Today, when DeMoine isn’t working as the CEO of TeamMates or giving motivational speeches, he enjoys working out and spending time with his family. From overcoming childhood bullying and financial struggles to earning a full-ride scholarship to the University of Nebraska, DeMoine Adams’ life story is a testament to resilience, determination, and being a man for others. From battling academic challenges to making it to the NFL and later becoming the CEO of a life-changing mentoring program, DeMoine’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. And when faced with a near-fatal health scare, he emerged stronger, proving once again that obstacles are just steppingstones to greatness.
