Caleb Adams
Offensive Guard
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Caleb Adams: I am 6’3 tall, 305 pounds, and my last forty time was a 5.13
Alex Khvatov: Where will you be training for the NFL Draft?
Caleb Adams: I will be training with Englebert Training Systems (ETS). They train numerous pro athletes including Adam Thielen. I will also be following a meal plan to help me continue to put on weight and fuel my workouts, so I can get the most from them.
Alex Khvatov: Describe your overall experience at the National Bowl all-star game in Daytona Beach, FL.
Caleb Adams: The National Bowl was an amazing experience. To get to go against some of the best collegiate athletes in D2/D3 is a once in a lifetime experience. Everyone at this game was an all-star from their school, so it’s nice to challenge yourself to see how good you really are when it comes to the best of the best.
Alex Khvatov: What is the biggest thing that you will take away from that
weekend?
Caleb Adams: The biggest thing that I will take away from that weekend was improving some weaknesses with my technique. Going against some of the best, you start to notice weaknesses in your technique that you couldn’t notice while playing other competition. Which is why I am going to focus on some of those weaknesses with my training and try to turn them into strengths before the Tropical Bowl in January.
Alex Khvatov: Who was the best player that you have faced at the National
Bowl?
Caleb Adams: The best player I went up against was Alec Heldreth from Clarion University. I noticed right away he was explosive, strong and good with his hands. During one-on-one’s, I wanted to go against him as much as possible simply because I wanted to prove how good I was by going against the best defensive lineman.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in
you?
Caleb Adams: Coming out of high school, I didn’t necessarily have very many programs interested in me. I never really took recruiting seriously until my senior year of high school. I thought I was going to be a thrower for a track and field program in college. The only reason I started thinking about possibly pursuing football was because one of the other offensive linemen that was on my team sent his highlight out to universities, and they happened to notice me doing well. I then got a call from a Division II (MSU-Moorhead) university and I started to think about taking recruiting a bit more seriously. I made a highlight my senior year and tried to send it out to as many schools as possible and was lucky to get contacts from a good number of division III schools (most MIAC and WIAC schools) and a couple division II schools (Concordia St-Paul, Northern State, Crookston, Southwest Minnesota State, Minot, UMD, etc.). Ultimately, I felt like I started a bit too late. I was also undersized at about 230 pounds, which never earned me a scholarship since I was going to some division II schools with tight ends that weigh more than me, however I am still happy with how everything played out.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you choose University Wisconsin-Stout?
Caleb Adams: I chose University of Wisconsin-Stout simply because I liked the coaching staff, I liked the players, and it was also close to home. There were some MIAC schools that sparked my interest, however I didn’t feel like paying the private school price. Stout had a lot of good things coming and I could tell with the coaches and players that we were looking to change the atmosphere and the program. When I first came to Stout, we were ranked last in the conference and four years later once I finished my senior year, we ended finishing 4th in our conference. We could have done better, but I am happy with how our class set the foundation for the younger classes to only improve the program further.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
Caleb Adams: I would say one of my strengths would be my versatility. I started at guard for my first three years and kicked out to tackle my senior year due to lack of depth, however I am still learning some techniques in my pass pro and will be ready to go before the Tropical Bowl. Teams having the option to have me be able to play both guard and tackle and it will only increase my chances of getting to where I want to be. I am also very athletic for my size. I am quick getting off the ball, work well with being thick on double teams, and am quick to get to the second level to cut off backers in the box. Another strength of mine would be pass pro at the guard position. I can mirror defenders to stay in front of them and allow no penetration to alarm the quarterback.
Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Caleb Adams: One area I am trying to improve upon is my pass protection at the tackle position. I tend to set more like a guard than a tackl,e which is why I am trying to improve more in that area by setting back a bit further to get me into the proper position before I am ready to strike my punch.
Alex Khvatov: Describe your overall career.
Caleb Adams: My overall career, I would say went better than I had originally planned. Coming into college, I never expected to become an NFL prospect. My goal originally coming into college was to start my freshman year, which was something I was able to accomplish. I then wanted to get All-Conference my sophomore year, however we went 3-7, which is not a record that will help you get All-Conference. Going into my junior year, I started training in the off season at ETS to improve myself physically and it really paid off. My junior year, I was able to get 1st Team All-WIAC and 3rd Team All-Region along with achieving Stout’s offensive lineman of the year. That’s when I started to think more about playing football at the next level. My senior year, I was able to get 1st Team All-WIAC and 2nd Team All-Region. I wanted to end my senior year with All-American, however I don’t think a 6-4 season is good enough to be considered. I also think not getting All-American was a good thing because it only makes me hungrier to get to where I want to get, which is to play at the next level and prove people wrong.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Caleb Adams: The biggest highlight of my career up to this point was beating No. 4 ranked St. Thomas in 2017. At that point, we knew we could really do some good as a team.
Alex Khvatov: What is your biggest accomplishment in college that you are
most proud of?
Caleb Adams: I would say my biggest accomplishment was receiving the Warren Bowlus Academic Award which highlights the greatest student-athlete. In college, I was told by people that you either need to be good at football or good at school and that you can’t do both. My senior year, I was able to achieve all the football accomplishments listed above while maintaining a 3.71 cumulative G.P.A.
Alex Khvatov: What have you learned the most from your coaching staff?
Caleb Adams: One thing that my coaching staff has improved me on is reading defenses. I learned how to better prepare myself for games by watching film and seeing what tendencies defenses tend to do in certain offensive formations. It has helped me become a better football player.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
Caleb Adams: My favorite NFL player is Tyron Smith. I think he and I play a lot alike, and he is the best tackle in the NFL. I enjoy watching the Cowboys games and seeing what he does as a lineman.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for an OL?
Caleb Adams: I think an important aspect of playing offensive line is technique, however I think in order to play at the next level you need to have physicality. If you aren’t physical in the trenches, I believe you won’t be able to play at a high level.
Alex Khvatov: Before the ball is snapped, what are the tendencies that
you are looking for from the defense?
Caleb Adams: Tendencies I look for are where the defensive linemen and backers are lining up to give myself an idea of what blitz/stunt they may run. I also look for weaknesses in players on the defense that I will go against and use those weaknesses to my advantage. I also look to see if linemen do certain things pre-snap that they only do in certain types of stunts/blitzes, which again improves my performance by identifying their weaknesses.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next
season?
Caleb Adams: On offense I would look at wide receiver Levy Hamer. He is going to be unstoppable next year. We have a very strong offensive line returning as well. Our running back Rayshawn Graham will also have a great year. On defense, I would look at linebackers Luke Wilz and Brandon Vecchio, along with safety Jed Schlegel and defensive lineman Aaron Wisecup.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?
Caleb Adams: I would say UW-Whitewater’s Harry Henschler just because he was supposed to be the best on paper, but honestly going against him, I thought he was nothing special.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
Caleb Adams: What I enjoy most about football is the physicality of it. Being able to dominate defensive linemen in the trenches is one of the most satisfying feelings there is. Being a lineman, we don’t get much recognition for what we do, so we just find a way to make our own fun.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your biggest role model and why?
Caleb Adams: My biggest role model is my mom. I would not be in the position that I am in right now, if I did not have her here to help me out.
Alex Khvatov: What is your definition of a leader?
Caleb Adams: My biggest definition of a leader is not only someone who leads by example, but is also vocal. I think in order to be an effective leader you need to show people by your actions, how leaders act on and off the field, but you also need to be able to get on top of people if they aren’t doing what they are supposed to. As a leader you may be hated by some, but you will be respected by many.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
Caleb Adams: I don’t have too many hobbies outside of football, but I love working out and eating. I am following my meal plan by eating every two hours to fuel my training.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Caleb Adams: Once football is over, I want to pursue something in my major which is Supply Chain Management. My dream was to work for Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN, where I grew up. I would like to work for their supply chain department someday, so I can stay close to Rochester.
Alex Khvatov: What five words best describe you?
Caleb Adams: Smart, physical, hardworking, determined and explosive.
Alex Khvatov: Who will win Super Bowl LIII in February?
Caleb Adams: I want the Vikings to win since they’re my team, however the Bears are doing pretty good and if no offense can beat that defense, then they got a pretty good chance.
