Adams pulling double duty at football, baseball | Adams stars in spring gameAbout 15 minutes after sliding on a rain-covered tarp at Cliff Hagan Stadium – one of the few breaks in his day – Brian Adams, in a noticeable hurry, was stopped by a Kentucky baseball trainer on his way out of the locker room.”Make sure you get in the cold tub before you leave,” the trainer said.Adams, as if to say “give me a break,” quickly shot back, “I know. It’s been a long day.”One of the longest in Adams’ career.Adams, a two-way star for the Kentucky football and baseball teams, made his best Bo Jackson impersonation Saturday, playing in both the annual Blue/White Game and the nightcap of a UK’s baseball game with Arkansas before the rain washed it out.The sophomore from Gainesville, Ga., has known since the beginning of spring that this day was coming. When football coach Joker Phillips and baseball coach Gary Henderson decided a month ago that they would allow Adams to play both sports, they decided they’d give him the shot to play both games in one day on April 23.Adams played a role in both. The 6-foot-4, 223-pounder caught a game-high seven passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the Blue/White Game at 3 p.m. before hustling across Cooper Drive to start and play center field in the 7 p.m. baseball game.”It’s been busy,” a tired and beaten Adams said Saturday night about an hour after the baseball game was postponed in the third inning. “I’m a little worn out but I’m catching a second wind.”He’ll likely need a third after the day he had Saturday.Really, it all started Friday for Adams in what was supposed to be the first of a three-game series with Arkansas. Fortunately for Adams, the umpires called Friday night’s game fairly quickly because of inclement weather, allowing him to leave the ballpark around 8:30 p.m.Adams knew he wouldn’t be able to make it to the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader because of the football scrimmage, his first priority (Adams is on a football scholarship), but he was going to need some sleep nonetheless. By 11 p.m. he was in bed, and he “slept in” Saturday to spend some time with his parents.”I slept in this morning until about 8 this morning, which is a lot of sleep for me,” Adams said. “I don’t really don’t get that much ever. This week I had a lot of four-hour days. Other than that, it’s been pretty good.”Adams had to be the Nutter Training Facility at 9:30 a.m. to watch film and attend meetings with the football team. From 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Adams was back with his family and girlfriend for a couple of hours before returning to UK’s football facilities at 2 p.m.
By 2:30 p.m. Adams was suited in up pads and his white uniform, and by 4 p.m. he’d caught the first of two touchdown passes. Just because Adams had a baseball game didn’t mean the football team took it lightly on Adams.”There were times where he was completely gassed out there and I kept him out there just to see how mentally tough he would be, and that was when he started doing better,” wide receivers coach Tee Martin said. “It shows me that the kid has some character and he’s going to compete to make plays. He’s going to compete and give you everything.”Adams, the biggest critic of himself, didn’t give himself a pass just because of the busy day.”I made some drops,” Adams said. “They were obviously not easy, textbook catches, but I need to make those plays. That will be something that I need to get better at. I also need to get into better shape. Right now, I feel like I’m in good shape but now where I want to be.”The Blue/White Game ended around 4:45 p.m., giving Adams ample time to hop in a car and drive across the street Cliff Hagan Stadium. Adams had time to shower, rest, eat and get ready to start and bat eighth in the UK lineup.Adams got one at-bat in the bottom of the second, a fly out to center field, before the heavens opened up and the weather postponed the second game. If it seemed like a break for Adams, it wasn’t. A day after trying to pull off a baseball-football doubleheader, he’ll now have to endure a true baseball doubleheader on Sunday.On second thought, four minutes in the cold tub suddenly sounded pretty promising to Adams.”I’m going to try to get my legs back,” Adams said, dashing off into the back halls of the Nutter Training Facility at 10 p.m.Adams, presumably, will sleep well Saturday night. With more severe weather on the way Sunday, it could be another long day.”Hopefully we can get the rain over with so we don’t have to worry about any delays tomorrow,” Adams said.Adams could sure use the break.