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Flozell Justin Adams (born May 18, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1998 NFL draft, and also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adams was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
On November 10, 1999, Duane Clemons was fined $7,500 for intentionally punching Adams in the testesArchived at Ghostarchive and the
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Wayback Machine: following an interception two days earlier during a Monday Night Football game against the Minnesota Vikings. While Adams maintained that he didn't know why Clemons punched him, Clemons stated that he threw the punch because Adams illegally took him down from behind on an interception return.
It is believed 2002 was the first time an NFL franchise had five African American starters on their offensive line, when the Cowboys lined up rookie center Andre Gurode, tackles Adams and Solomon Page, guards Larry Allen and Kelvin Garmon. When Bill Parcells became the Cowboys head coach for the 2003 season, there were doubts about the fifth-year player's future with the team. Parcells made re-signing him a priority, which became a turning point in his career, that saw his performance improved to a level that earned him five Pro Bowl selections. In 2007 he earned All-Pro honors.
Adams tore his ACL in 2005 playing against the New York Giants and was out for the final 10 games of the season. On February 28, 2008, he signed a six-year contract with the Cowboys. It was in the neighborhood of $42 million, including $15 million in guaranteed money and about $13 million in signing bonus. In the 2009 season, Adams was fined several times for kicking at and tripping opponents. Adams also was part of an altercation with several Giants in their December 6, 2009, game at Giants Stadium after he pushed Justin Tuck from behind after a play had been blown dead, an action which drew review by the NFL and a fine of $50,000. As a result, a rule change was approved during the off-season where any personal foul that occurs after the clock expires during a half will result in a 15-yard penalty on the second half or overtime kickoff. Adams was criticized for his false start and holding penalties, being called for the second most penalties in the NFL between 2006 and 2009.
The Cowboys released Adams on April 2, 2010 in a salary cap move. He is often overlooked as one of the top in club history, but only Larry Allen (ten), Zack Martin (nine), Tyron Smith (eight), Rayfield Wright (six), Nate Newton (six), and John Niland (six) have more Pro Bowl selections among offensive line players. He was also a durable player, missing only 14 games in his 12-year career with Dallas.
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