It took Davante Adams six days as a Jet before he realized what was wrong with the team's culture and felt the need to speak out about it.
Adams gave a speech to the Jets in the locker room after Sunday night's 37-15 loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Despite only joining the team less than a week before the game, Adams felt the need to speak out about what he felt was a lack of energy on the team.
“Obviously, there was a lack of energy and urgency. That was obvious,” Adams said Wednesday. “I've played on teams that have a winning culture. Basically, I took the time to let them know. I was reluctant to say things too early or speak up too early, but I don't have the time, so I just took the time to let them know. In my mind I said, “That’s it.” I have to do whatever I have to do to help this team move forward.
“I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I hadn’t spoken out about this.”
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Adams' speech was well received by the team.
“I thought it was the most real speech I've heard in a locker room in 20 years,” Rodgers said.
It would be interesting to see what Jets players who have been with the team for a while thought about the players who just arrived talking about the culture of the team.
But Adams said he was surprised by what he saw during the game against the Steelers.
He cited how helpless the sideline looked after Breece Hall's 57-yard reception.
“A lot of the guys here had never won anywhere else and had the sense of urgency that it takes to be a good team,” Adams said. “This team is so talented on the roster that we have everyone there and it would be a real shame to have the sideline dead like this.”
Adams had only three catches for a loss of 30 yards, a disappointing start to his Jets career.
But Adams said he sees his role as changing the organization, not just producing on the field for the Jets.
“I'm not here to be a savior,” Adams said. “The whole world… [Donald] Trump was at the game. I don't know if it was my fault. Everybody's sitting here expecting me to go out there and record 200 yards and 3 yards. [touchdowns]. That's the end of the story. Obviously, it would have been amazing if that happened. I'm here, more than anything, to help change this culture. ”
Adams said he received positive feedback from everyone in the locker room. Among them was the “owner” (probably Woody Johnson), but Christopher Johnson was also said to have been in the room.
The fact that Adams had to speak up himself could indicate a lack of leadership on the team prior to his arrival.
“Everyone could see it was something they had never heard of or experienced,” Adams said. “That's part of the problem.”
Adams played for the Packers and Raiders, two franchises with storied histories.
However, the Raiders haven't had much success in recent years either.
Still, Adams said the Raiders players supported each other even at the end of the loss, something he didn't see against the Jets.
A reporter asked Adams who was responsible for the Jets' culture.
“It's for everyone,” Adams said. “Whenever an organization is on a losing streak or a losing organization is losing…I'm not going to say any organization is on the losing side, but obviously in the past, there have been things like that recently. There have been several years here and obviously everything has changed a little bit, including personnel.
“But with this team, I think it's just learning how to win and what it takes, the little things that don't necessarily have to come from the owner or the general manager. It's about having the right people on the team, the ways to win.” It's a problem that can be solved if we have people who know. It's not just because we have good players. We need players who understand and sometimes win, and that's a big reason why I'm here. .”
