In Indianapolis, with hundreds of scouts watching his every move, Jamal Adams walked up to attempt the 40-yard dash.
He could’ve “peed” on himself.
“[Jamal] was kind of a little nervous,” Jamal’s father George Adams said.
Jamal would run a 4.56 40-yard dash time at the combine, slower than what he usually ran when he trained for the NFL draft.
However, at LSU’s pro day, Jamal would best his time, with a blistering 4.33 40-yard dash.
“I definitely feel like I had something to prove for myself in the 40,” Jamal said. “I knew at the combine, a 4.5 wasn’t me, and I had a different outcome.”
Jamal said his technique also contributed to his better 40 time.
After the combine, Jamal and his father broke down the film of his run, and they realized that Jamal stood up a few tenths of a second too soon.
“I had two wonderful friends of mine, Tremayne Acy and Mo Wells. Those guys helped me with my drive phase,” Jamal said. “At the combine, I popped straight up. I lost a lot of time.”
George joked with his son about his time after the combine.
“I told him don’t worry about it,” George said, “I was faster than you. I ran a 4.55 at 225 pounds.”
George said while training with his son last week, he clocked Jamal with the wind at his back as low as 4.30.
“We knew he could run a 4.4, so a 4.3 is even better,” George said.
Jamal, who is likely a top-10 pick, may have cemented himself as a top-five pick with his impressive speed. Jamal’s time at LSU’s pro day would have ranked fourth-best in Indianapolis and second among defensive back.
“I’m more excited for him than I was for myself because he is my son and he is able to do the same things that I have done,” George said. “But I’m not going to say how he is going to go or what until his name is called. I know how the NFL is.”
In addition to his training for the draft, Jamal has been followed around 24/7 for NFL Network’s annual series “Path to the Draft,” a show which follows highly-ranked draft prospects.
“It’s great, man,” George said. “Really, [Jamal] likes cameras. That’s what me and my wife said when he was playing here for LSU. We always see him on the camera. He finds the camera.”
For now, Jamal has plans to meet with a few NFL teams.
Jamal will be flying to Jacksonville on Thursday to meet with the Jaguars and will be meeting with the Chicago Bears and the Tennessee Titans in the near future.
Jamal said he hopes to be drafted in the top four, which made him the highest safety ever drafted.
The late Sean Taylor, in 2004, and Eric Berry, in 2010, were drafted fifth, which is the highest a safety was ever drafted.
Jamal wants to be drafted higher than that and more.
“I plan to be a Hall of Famer,” Jamal said.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Augustus Stark

Former LSU safety Jamal Adams speaks to the media during the LSU football pro day on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at the Charles McClendon LSU football practice facility.