Still a learning game
"I felt pretty good, I'm just a week into this thing, and I still don't know a lot of stuff because this is my first time playing offense," he said. "But I'm starting to learn a couple of things, I'm just trying to make sure I go faster."
Adams played quarterback, receiver and running back in high school, but was moved to defensive back when he arrived at Kentucky. He had 23 tackles and one interception his first two seasons.
So he's spent the first week of spring trying to get learn his playbook "so I can be sharp out there," he said.
And it's a lot to grasp, he admits.
"Defense, you maybe got two calls to a play. On offense, you may have four, five, six calls. You've just got to listen, and when I'm listening, I'm trying to think about what I'm doing," he said. "Then, by the time I get to the line, I'm trying to put all that together, and look at the defense. It's a lot going through my head."
Performance impressed others
But quarterback Curtis Pulley was impressed with Adams' play.
"He's always been good with the ball in his hands, even on defense. It's going to be a big adjustment, but once he learns to line up and run routes, he's going to be pretty good," Pulley said. "But right now, he's just relying on his athletic ability.
"Once he gets everything down pat, he's going to be a big force for us this year."
He showed glimpses of what he could do during UK's first scrimmage of the spring Saturday.
Aside from his long touchdown catch, Adams outfought a defensive back for a catch and 39-yard gain on a pass from Mike Hartline, then had another long reception from a Hartline pass. And it was plays like that the UK coaches are hoping to see more of.
"It does give you hope. E.J. is an explosive player, he's got really good quicks, really good explosion. He's just got to work on his conditioning," said offensive coordinator Joker Phillips, who noted Adams also was not able to come back after running long distances and catch a couple of balls thrown to him. "You've got to be able to play every play. It will come with reps out there, you get a lot of conditioning throughout practice at wide receiver."
