CatsPause.com - Adams grateful UK trainer saved his life

August 20, 2009

Matt May
CatsPause.com Senior Writer

To hear Brian Adams tell it Jim Madaleno saved his life. Whether or not Kentucky's football program reaches a fourth straight bowl game or experiences a losing season for the first time in four years, Madaleno already helped score the most important victory of the 2009 season.

And it happened over the phone, of all places.

While home in the greater Atlanta area for the Fourth of July Adams, who signed to play at UK last February, began experiencing pain and swelling in his arm and headed to a local emergency room. Doctors initially diagnosed what Adams said they termed 'a small, superficial blood clot' in his arm that wasn't a major concern and would be gone within a month. Before returning to UK's campus to continue summer workouts and course work Adams called Madaleno, the team's head athletic trainer, to inform him of the emergency doctor's visit.

It's the call Adams credits for saving his life.

"Well, I called the trainer up here, Jim, and he said it didn't make sense and wanted me to go to check it out before coming back," Adams said. "It probably saved my life.

"I went to another ER and they did a CAT-scan and were really freaking out about it and found out it was a deeper thing, a pulmonary emboli to my lungs. If I had driven (from Atlanta to Lexington) like I was going to I probably wouldn't have made it because it likely would have gone to my heart."

UK coach Rich Brooks was even more succinct in his description.

"We almost lost him," Brooks said.

The last six weeks have been a blur for Adams, who was forced to withdraw from summer courses and return to his Gainesville, Ga. home for treatment. Doctors performed surgery to remove a rib, put him on blood thinners and told him he would not be allowed any contact in football until at least next spring. It was a devastating blow for the 6-foot-4, 212-pound wide receiver.

"It has been crazy to say the least," Adams said. "None of the doctors really knew what was going on but Jim pegged it over the phone. It's something called thoracic outlet syndrome and it's something that is very common in baseball players, which I've played a lot baseball. It's when your ribs and your collarbone get too close. They went in and removed that rib so I'm good to go now.

"The weirdest thing was it was something that wasn't in my control, there was nothing I could do. If you tear something up in your arm you can rehab it but now all I can do is take pills and hope the blot clot goes away. I didn't quite understand it all at first, and really didn't until I was in the elevator going to ICU. That's when it hit me I was in critical care, like, why am I in critical care at 18 years old?"

Adams made an emotional return to Lexington in time for the Cats' annual Media Day, even donning his blue No. 87 uniform in the team picture. For a young man who nearly lost literally everything it offered a unique opportunity to stop and smell the roses.

He loved the scent.

"I'm so glad I'm back up here but I don't think I've fully taken in everything that has gone on," Adams said. "It puts me in a comfort zone (being here). I mean, these uniforms, everything, it's just so cool being out here and everything else goes away because this is where I need to be.

"It's been a roller coaster ride. I've been praying a lot and it kind of puts things in perspective but I'm excited about getting back up (to Kentucky) so I'll be able to work out and at least do something so I can get back (on the field) in January. I decided to come back in the fall because I love being with everyone and I want to get the system down. They gave me both ideas but I wanted to come up now and get my grades underneath me."

While Adams may have been able to help the Cats as a rue freshman the most important thing for the coaching staff was to make him feel like he had a football family behind him every step of the way back.

"(Brooks) laid out the different scenarios for him and gave him the pros and cons for both and let him decide, which is only right," Phillips said of Adams. "He felt he wanted to be around so he could start up in a few months and he'll be in the meetings. Most importantly, he needed a support system because this will be a tough time for him so for him to be around here...when he walked in the players embraced him, it was fun watching that. He just loves being in this stadium. Those are the things you get excited about seeing from a kid."

Adam understands it won't be an easy road.

"It's going to be a hard six months for me to watch everyone play," Adams said. "I just have to be patient and (the coaches) will do a good job getting me in line."

The fact he's even alive is cause to be patient enough.

Matt May is the football beat reporter for The Cats' Pause. If you have questions or comments about the Cats e-mail him here.

Kentucky NEWS

[More]

Latest Headlines:

Resources:

FEATURED PRODUCT