Page 42 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2020- Lubbock Online Magazine

LOCAL LEGENDS
How
to
Finish
Well
Coach Sam Adams
by Jane Bromley
est Texas has had
more than its share of
Woutstanding coaches.
Senior Link has documented the
stories of some of those legends,
including Gary Gaines of Friday
Night Lights fame and TTU
Basketball Coaches Marsha Sharp
and Bobby Knight. This story,
however, is about a Texas Hall of
Fame Coach who is still coaching.
At 85.
Longtime Lamesa resident, Sam
Adams, is a Haskell County native.
He was born in 1935 and grew up
in an oil camp because his dad
was an engineer for Shell Oil. Sam
graduated from high school at
Weinert where he played six-man
football.
He chose to attend Sul Ross because
it had a reputation as a rodeo school.
“I liked riding bucking horses and
bulls. But I kept falling off because
my bottom was too round.” After
coaching a Boys’ Club swim team,
he discovered he loved to coach.
Even though he wasn’t good enough
42 Lubbock Senior Link
Grove, the Dawson Dragons
at Welch snatched him up.
He spent 24 years there
racking up a lot of Ws.
“Those kids were very
coachable. They used the
talent they had to excel. I
tried to instill in them that
they should finish whatever
they started to the best of
their ability, whether in
athletics, academics, or life.”
Almost to a man, they have
made their mentor proud:
gone on to become bankers,
Coach Adams’ boys have
doctors, preachers, CPAs,
farmers, teachers, coaches
and more. Hardly a week
goes by that he doesn’t get
a call from at least one of
them. In fact, he coached
to play on the college football team, the current pastor (a former
he did manage to win the hand of all-state safety) of the Welch Church
the beautiful Joy Warren, Sul Ross of Christ where Sam and Joy
Football Sweetheart. They married have attended for 54 years. Sam’s
in 1956 and welcomed daughter daughter apparently listened to
Kelly in ’57, just before Sam her dad’s counsel, too. She was
graduated. salutatorian of DHS and is now the
assistant lab director of Abilene
His first job was at Imperial, TX – Regional Hospital. Her daughter
Buena Vista High School, where the Blair is an attorney.
21-yr.-old found himself coaching
18-yr.-olds in six-man football. “I Sam retired in 1990 with an
found out how little I knew.” After impressive career record of 208-89-2.
two years, the superintendent at
The whole community embraced “
Weinert, his alma mater, offered him
a job. “That launched my career.” Sam is more than just a football
coach for the Titans; he instantly
the hometown boy. He discovered
coaching was something he was became a part of our family, and
good at. “In fact, coaching is about the kids, coaches, and parents
the only thing I was ever good at.” all love him. His humility and
During his five years at Weinert, the dedication are easy to miss because
six-man football team won three he is so quiet about what he does.
district championships and three But we see it and are beyond
regional championships. “They grateful for him. It’s not just about
didn’t have state back then, but my the football, even though that’s
teams went 50-4-1.” what brought us together.”
After two years and a district – A Lubbock Titan Parent ”
championship at rural Flower