Adams’ future in B.C. up in air

VANCOUVER – When talking with Vernon Adams Jr., you would never know that only a few days earlier he had his CFL career turned on its head.

“A blessing,” Adams described his past week, in an interview with the Free Press a day before his B.C. Lions were set to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Place Sunday. “I’m alive. I’m breathing. I’m healthy, working through my rehab and I’m grateful to just still be here, part of a team. It is what it is.”

When news broke that the Lions had signed quarterback Nathan Rourke to a three-year contract, Adams was busy recovering from a knee injury he had suffered a couple weeks ago. He had missed one game already – a 33-16 beatdown at the hands of the lowly Edmonton Elks, which was the Lions third straight defeat – but was expected to return sometime in August.

Adams was eager to get back on the field, back to a campaign he was considered by the majority of CFL pundits to be the frontrunner for Most Outstanding Player. Before Adams was injured, he was leading the league in passing yards, was second in passing touchdowns and third in overall QB rating.

Then Rourke signed, and all that he knew before suddenly changed. Adams was now not only no longer part of the present while injured, but signing Rourke has all but confirmed he isn’t going to be part of the Lions future, either.

“Before all this happened, I was expecting to come back and be the guy and lead this team, as I was doing before,” Adams said. “But now, I don’t. I don’t have any expectations.”

Adams had no idea the move was coming, even if it wasn’t all that surprising it was made.

The Lions have adored Rourke since the moment he arrived at the start of the 2021 season. That love for him only grew when he took the league by storm the following year, his first as a starter, a season he would have won the league’s MOP but settled for Most Outstanding Canadian after a foot injury derailed what was looking like a historic season.

Head coach Rick Campbell went out of his way to call Adams before even letting his staff know of the Rourke signing – even going as far as telling the Lions that he would only sign off on a trade if Adams remained with the team. Campbell doesn’t know what the plan will be once Adams gets healthy, or how he plans to use arguably the two best QBs in the CFL as a tandem.

Meanwhile, Adams still hasn’t heard anything from general manager Neil McEvoy or assistant general manager Ryan Rigmaiden. He doesn’t need to be told that unless Rourke can turn this season into another shot in the NFL, his future is likely not in B.C.

“There’s nothing I can do. Why sit around and be sad or moping around, or bringing it down, bringing the energy down when we have such a good energy here?” Adams said. “There’s no need for that. I just look at it as just my time will come again at some point, and I need to be ready. I need to be ready for that.”

The relationship between Adams and Rourke is a positive one. It’s not the first time they’ve been teammates; Adams was traded from Montreal to B.C. after Rourke’s foot injury, eventually signing a two-year extension with B.C. once Rourke signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In fact, Adams said he loves learning from Rourke, adding it didn’t take long to remind himself just how special a player he is. But Adams also plans to push him hard when he gets back, to hold Rourke and his teammates accountable as they push for their first Grey Cup since 2011.

Adams is a major leader on the team and is well respected in the locker room. While adding Rourke is exciting, his addition didn’t exactly sit well with some of the players who were reeling for their friend.

“When guys come to me and they feel for me, I give them the same answers I’m giving you. I’m telling them, ‘Hey, he’s going to help us out.’ We all know that,” Adams said. “We put all the personal goals aside and we think about the main goal. So, whatever that is that’s going to help us get to that, then we got to do that. We got to get on board.”

He added: “But I tell the guys feel what you guys need to feel. I’m not telling you how to feel, how not to feel. If you feel some type of way, you feel that some type of way. But then after those few days, let’s do it. Let’s come together and let’s do it together.”

It might sound like Adams is simply saying the right things, being sure not to mess up his next opportunity, wherever that might be. There’s probably some truth to that, but most of his current approach is rooted in the growth he’s experienced as a player and person, notably the last couple years in B.C.

Adams isn’t going to tell you he wasn’t disappointed or that he hasn’t had his moments of rage and frustration. He’s a competitor and that burning fire inside him is what’s got him to this point and it’s not something he’s about to extinguish anytime soon.

He’s also leaned on his faith. Adams said he has a lot of appreciation for the support he’s received from team chaplain Dave Klassen and the players he attends bible study with.

Adams admits that had this happened years earlier, while playing with the Montreal Alouettes, he likely would have handled things much differently.

“They know I would have taken it to Twitter, I would have taken it to social media, I would have been such a distraction, man,” Adams said with a bit of a chuckle. “I’ve come a long way, and I know that’s not the route to go, because all that can bring is just negativity to the locker room and to the organization, and I’m not about that. I know I was having a pretty good year with this team. I wasn’t doing it by myself. I’ve had great players and coaches around me to help me look as good as I was looking.

“Whether it’s this year or next year on a different team, I know I’m going to be in a good spot regardless. You just keep working, keep praying, staying in my word and things like that, and I know I’m going to be good. I want to win a Grey Cup here with Vancouver, BC this year. Hopefully we get that done this year, and then after that, we’ll see what happens come January, February.”

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