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Notre Dame Football: Let Josh Adams be “boring”

By Noah Strackbein

Apr 22, 2017; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Josh Adams (33) carries in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Josh Adams (33) carries in the first quarter of the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame football has had one running back over the last three years that has dominated the backfield.

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There’s a 50/50 split between Notre Dame football fans who love Josh Adams and hate Josh Adams. As the most unflashy player on the roster, Adams is known by fans as “boring.” Well, if boring gets you 1,771 yards and 11 touchdowns over the last two years then bring on the boredom.

Adams makes a living by running between the tackles, averaging five yards per carry, and being as normal of a running back as he can. Maybe that will never win over the fans, but if he continues to dominate defense in 2017, people will eventually need to award this man the respect he deserves.

This season, he leads a backfield of himself, Tony Jones Jr., and Dexter Williams. On plenty of other teams in the country, all three of these guys would be considered a starter. For Notre Dame, they know their go-to guy is Adams. Why? Because whenever he touches the ball you know, he’s the most reliable player on the field.

You don’t need to be a superstar with 20 yard runs every other play to be a great back. Some of the NFL’s best are patient runners who look for 5-10 yard gains on each run. If a team can hand you ball twice and have you pick up a first down, you’re doing everything you need to as a runner.

Fans don’t like him because he’s not breakout play worthy. Well, his 6.5 YPC average may not be because of too many 70-yard runs, but it’s good enough to break out a few 20-yard hauls here and there.

It’s time to award Adams for the player he is. He’s been one of the best offensive weapons on this team for two seasons and this year should be one of the best running backs in the NCAA. He’s not going to have many 200 yard games, and there won’t be many occasions where fans jump out of their seats because of his running, but he’s going to win the Irish games.

“Boring” is the best type of running back. It makes you consistent, reliable, and gritty. Let other players try to run outside the tackles and escape for big gains. Guaranteed they don’t have as good of a year as Adams.

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Adams is boring. He’s normal. Simply, Josh Adams is nothing special in the eyes of fans. The problem is that he’s one of the most special players on this team.

Let him be “boring.” As long as he continues to be the best running back Notre Dame has seen in years, he can be as “boring” as he wants.

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