December 29, 2000|By Paul McMullen | Paul McMullen,SUN STAFF
Football practices at Cypress Creek High in Texas can be extraordinary, from two a days in the heat and humidity of Houston being punctuated by 30 50-yard sprints to some memorable mano a mano battles on the line of scrimmage in the late 1980s.
One of the NFL's best and most overlooked personal rivalries will be renewed Sunday, when Sam Adams, the Ravens' Pro Bowl defensive tackle, goes against Denver Broncos right guard Dan Neil for about the 135th time. Adams came to Baltimore from Seattle, where he played Neil twice a year. Adams was an All-American at Texas A&M, Neil at hated rival Texas. Before that, they knocked helmets at Cypress Creek.
Both are 27, but Neil was a year behind Adams in high school. Earlier this week he told the Denver media that Adams used to own him at high school practices, and how little has changed. When the stories got back to Adams, he rolled his eyes.
"He's definitely blowing smoke," Adams said. "It's always been an even battle. It was an honor to play with him, and now it's an honor to play against him. When we were voting for the Pro Bowl team and it came time to talk about guards, he was the first guy I mentioned. He's the best I have played, year in and year out. His technique is sound, he's agile, and above all, he has a little dog in him. He'll scrap for 60 minutes.
"He's a guy you have to play your best against down after down, or he'll embarrass you. Denver will run behind Dan, and he's one of the guys on their offense we always look at. It's always been that way. He was heads above the rest of the offensive lineman I practiced against in high school. He not only beat the man in front of him, he punished him."
Adams began his prep career as an offensive lineman, and wasn't shifted to defensive tackle until he was a junior. Cypress Creek is a Super 5A school, and is not in the custom of having players go both ways. Adams started to list defensive teammates who earned college scholarships, and didn't stop until he had dropped seven names.
"I remember my sophomore year I had to go against Sam," Neil said, "and I thought `Man, there's no way I can play football, these guys are unbelievable.' Then I went to a game and it was easy. I learned a lot playing against Sam. It made me a much better player."
Neil bragged to Adams that Texas A&M's dominance of Texas would end when he got to Austin, but it didn't, as Adams didn't lose a Southwest Conference game in his three years as a starter for the Aggies. Their mutual respect grew through AFC West Division games over the last three seasons, and Adams was asked if he missed his two dates against Neil after he signed with the Ravens.
"No, I didn't," Adams said. "You like to play against great competition, guys who will help make you better, but heck no, I was glad I didn't have to play against him."
Defensive end Rob Burnett has criticized the Broncos' offensive linemen for illegal "leg whip" blocking, a tactic Adams shrugged off.
"Who likes it?" Adams said. "I used to do it in high school until I was told to stop. Every week we face something new. They [the Broncos] are damned good at it. It's just another challenge."
