Naperville Central senior defender Jacob Adams is a picture of serenity in a sea of chaos.
That’s particularly important to the Redhawks this season.
“Jacob is such a calming influence,” said Naperville Central coach Troy Adams, who is not related to Jacob Adams. “He doesn’t really get rattled.
“He doesn’t let the game dictate to him. He just keeps a calm, steady presence.”
It wasn’t always that way. Jacob Adams often had trouble controlling his emotions after making a mistake.
“I try to stay calm in tough situations,” he said. “But when I was younger, I used to get mad at myself for making like one bad pass and not really be calm.
“My dad would get pissed at me because I always got mad at myself and have a tantrum sometimes. My coach would get pissed too.”
So Jacob Adams was sent to the proverbial corner to cool off.
“They would be like, ‘Go away and not be mad,’” he said.
Eventually, Jacob Adams outgrew his penchant for outbursts.
“That’s something that I learned myself, to just stay calm,” he said. “If I make a mistake, it’s fine. We’ll get it back. It’s in the past.”
Jacob Adams’ struggles are in the past. His emotional maturity has become a strength.
Naperville Central senior forward Brady Strang, whose penalty kick was the winning goal in the Redhawks’ 4-0 victory over visiting Hinsdale Central on Thursday, has known Jacob Adams since they were toddlers because their fathers were Troy Adams’ teammates at Naperville Central in the early 1990s.
More Top Picks Best 15 Inch Laptops
“He’s super calm,” Brady Strang said of Jacob Adams. “I’m really proud of the way he’s improved with being able to keep his head up through things.
“Even at the start of last season, he’d make a mistake, and his head would go down right away — and by the end, he was one of our best. He’s the most composed player.”
The Redhawks (6-3) have needed such composure and leadership from Jacob Adams, who is a two-year varsity player and one of the few veterans on a back line that has had its ups and downs.
“He’s very much under control,” Troy Adams said. “He’s probably as just a pure defender one of the most disciplined that we’ve had in a while. He takes good angles.
“As the defensive mental piece, he’s exactly what we want. He doesn’t step in. He communicates.”
Naperville Central’s games have tended to be chaotic, with wild swings in consistency and level of play. But Jacob Adams is locked in at right back.
“He’s always been a defender, but as far as our back four, he’s the perfect complement to some of the other kids who do get a little bit caught up at times,” Troy Adams said. “He’s the perfect levelheaded kid to be back there.
“He makes smart decisions. He knows when to dribble and when to play it and does that at the right time.”
That sets the tone for the Redhawks.
“He’s a good example of a quiet leader, not a vocal rah-rah guy, but he works hard in practice, does the right things,” Troy Adams said. “Kids respect what he does, so he’s valuable to the team.”
That value has grown alongside Jacob Adams’ physical skills. He has become more of a factor in the attack and has two assists.
“He’s added a little bit to his game this year with his ability to play dead balls and ability to play in balls from the side on set pieces,” Troy Adams said. “So he’s definitely grown his game from when he was a freshman to where he is now, and that’s what the program wants and needs.
“They come in as a freshman, and they look one way, and we want them when they’re a senior to look a different way, and Jacob is a good example of that.”
Not many kids attend their parents’ alma mater, let alone play the same sport. Jacob Adams said he grew up listening to his father talk about playing “in the red and white.”
“He’s told me a couple stories,” Jacob Adams said. “Knowing he played here, to carry on his legacy is kind of a good feeling.”
More Top Picks Etekcity Outdoor
Troy Adams has coached multiple players whose parents also came through the program.
“I think there’s definitely something to be said for kids that have that legacy,” he said. “It means a little more to them.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.