Mo Adams writhed on the ground in pain, unable to bring himself to his feet. Instead of clearing the ball, a defender connected with Adams’ left foot. He was on trial in 2015 with the Blackburn Rovers, a second-division team in England, and playing well enough that he “100 percent” would’ve been offered a professional contract. Now, Adams lay on a stretcher coming off the field with four torn ligaments in his left ankle.

Adams was sidelined six months after surgery. He would’ve likely picked up a professional offer shortly after. If he did, though, he couldn’t play collegiately in the United States.

Rising from the dredges of English professional soccer to a recognizable level is a long, strenuous process that doesn’t always pan out and Adams knew that. He didn’t want to wait half a year and forego playing in America to potentially be stuck in the depths of his home country’s professional ranks.

“It’s the beauty for some international players,” Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre said. “… the college environment and the opportunities we have here.”

Adams wanted to play professionally in England. He says it bluntly. But coming to America has opened his eyes to a world he couldn’t fathom before his career-altering injury and validated a decision he never thought he’d have to make. For No. 3 Syracuse (8-3-1, 2-2-1 Atlantic Coast), Adams has started all 12 games, the only freshman to do so. He doesn’t have a goal or assist, but his prowess in defensive midfield has been integral for a team that has surrendered only nine goals this season.

“It’s a blessing in disguise to be honest,” Adams said. “Soccer’s a journey basically and it’s not about how you start. It’s about how you finish, ultimately.”

Tony D. Curtis | Staff Photographer

Adams played with Nottingham Forest’s academy team, a squad in England’s second division, from age 11-16. He knew a coach for Derby County’s academy team, another second-division side, and its system provided players with more exposure so Adams spent the next two years there.

But after the 2014-15 season, when Adams anticipated a professional offer from Derby, he got nothing. In his mind, he re-visited all the times opposing coaches complimented him to see if there were ones he could now reach out to.

“He kind of came to the crossroads a little bit after his time at Derby,” McIntyre said.

Ultimately a coach from Blackburn reached out and Adams excelled with the Rovers before seeing his professional hopes come to a halt. Derby allowed Adams to rehab at their training facility and in the meantime, Adams consulted former Derby teammates playing in America who made the same decision he eventually would.

At Syracuse, Adams has diversified his game in less than a year more than he did in England. He’s served as a box-to-box midfielder, an advancing midfielder, a defensive midfielder and a right-center back. In England, he strictly played defensive midfield with an occasional stint out wide.

“He kind of gives us that kind of solid feeling you have in the midfield,” senior Liam Callahan said. “I mean, as a freshman, it’s amazing to see how well he’s fit in the team.”

After the Orange’s 2-1 upset loss to Albany last Tuesday, Adams was one of the last players to leave the sideline. He paced near the bench, two fingers pinching his eyes, trying to hold back the emotion. Callahan consoled the freshman before he walked off into the night after his first shocking loss in college.

Adams is no stranger to handling adversity. It led him to a country he didn’t plan on playing in and to a situation he’s fully embraced. Amid Syracuse’s four-game winless streak, he’ll need to help rewrite the script again.

“Every time I go on that field, it’s to prove someone wrong,” Adams said. “I really, really wanted to play in England. It was heartbreaking for me not to be able to play there.

“You can let stuff like (that) affect you, or use it as motivation to find yourself.”

Published on October 10, 2016 at 10:27 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman