Adam James/San Antonio Paper

[50's PONY]

Football: Famous father lends support to his H.S. All-American son

Web Posted: 01/04/2006 12:00 AM CST
Dan McCarney
Express-News Staff Writer

It was a college football fan's dream: Ohio State playing Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl at a sold-out Sun Devil Stadium.


More coverage
Famous father lends support to his H.S. All-American son
UT, USC recruits in the All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl report


Yet even as he watched from the sideline, ABC analyst Craig James couldn't help himself. He took a moment to sneak into a tunnel to call his 18-year-old son, Adam, who had just finished his first day of practice for Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

"Here I am, watching Notre Dame and Ohio State go at it, and all that's on my mind is what's going on in San Antonio," James said. "Last night, I couldn't go to sleep. I'm so excited that he had a good day (Monday), that he enjoyed his time."

Adam James is beginning to emerge from the shadow cast by his father, a former standout running back at SMU and in the NFL who is now a television analyst.

Craig's résumé caused Adam, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound tight end, considerable frustration as he began his athletic career in Celina, which is north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

"Every time I achieved something, it was because of my dad," Adam said. "It used to get under my skin. But I've realized that he's not the one out there putting the work in."

Whatever pressure Adam felt, he said it did not came from within the family.

"He's never told me I had to live up to anything he did," Adam said.

Craig said he and his wife, Marilyn, in raising their four children — Adam has two older sisters and a younger brother — strove to maintain a sense of normalcy.

Despite their best efforts, it wasn't long before Adam realized that his father was different from the others.

"I don't know how old I was, maybe 8 or 9, when I started to notice that everywhere we went we were getting stopped," Adam said. "People always wanted to talk or get his autograph."

Penciled in as Celina's starting tight end entering his sophomore season, Adam quit just before fall practice to concentrate on baseball.

Though he returned several weeks later, Adam still isn't sure which is his favorite sport.

"I'd love to do either one," said Adam, whose uncle Chris James batted .261 over 10 seasons in the major leagues. "It's a tough decision."

If his growth during Celina's recent march to the Class 2A Division II state title this season is any indication, the decision might be made for him.

"I've really seen him change over the past two months," Craig said. "You could just notice his presence more, how physical he was and what a leader he was. He keeps getting better and better."

Even so, Adam admitted he was caught off guard when he was asked to participate in Saturday's game.

"I was very surprised," said Adam, who will visit Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Mississippi and Nevada this month. "I've never pictured myself as an All-American. This whole thing has been pretty incredible. It's a real confidence boost."

Though he's not as touted as most of his All-American teammates, Adam turned in another sure-handed performance at Tuesday's practice.

If he keeps it up, his dad might not be able to sleep for the rest of the week.

"I think (Monday), in the midst of practice, he knew he belonged," James said. "I can't tell you how satisfying that is as a dad, that he recognized it and it wasn't just coming from me."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[email protected]





MySA Sponsored Links

[Corso]

Maybe if he wasn't so busy writing for the S.A. paper, McCarney could have led Iowa State past the Frogs.

[CalallenStang]

Maybe if he wasn't so busy writing for the S.A. paper, McCarney could have led Iowa State past the Frogs.

LMFAO! Nice