Mike "Pops" Adams, a two-time Pro Bowl player, is in his third season on the Giants' staff and his second season as the assistant secondary coach, a position he held with the Chicago Bears in 2021.
The 2024 season marked Adams' first season as the assistant secondary coach for the Giants. In his role, Adams helped cornerback Dru Phillips rank ninth among all rookies in total tackles (71) while also producing seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one interception. Pro Football Focus named Phillips the 13th-best rookie from his draft class and ranked him the second-best cornerback among 2024 rookies.
Adams was an assistant special teams coach in 2023, when the Giants' punt team finished seventh in the NFL, allowing an average return of 6.9 yards. Gunner Olszewski's 94-yard touchdown vs. the Rams was the Giants' first punt return touchdown since 2015.
Adams entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent from the University of Delaware and played 16 seasons in the league, including stints with the San Francisco 49ers (2004-06), Cleveland Browns (2007-11), Denver Broncos (2012-13), Indianapolis Colts (2014-16), Carolina Panthers (2017-18) and Houston Texans (2019).
Adams appeared in 228 regular-season games with 149 starts and was credited with 869 tackles (653 solo), 90 passes defensed, 30 interceptions, 15 tackles for loss and 13 forced fumbles. He also played in 10 postseason games with eight starts, including one in the Broncos' Super Bowl XLVIII loss to Seattle in MetLife Stadium.
Adams had his best statistical seasons with the Colts in 2014 and 2015, when he was twice selected to the Pro Bowl while totaling 162 tackles, 10 interceptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Adams was born in Paterson, N.J. and starred at Passaic County Technical Institute, located just 16 miles from MetLife, and helped lead the football team to the 1998 New Jersey Group 4 title.
At the University of Delaware, Adams played in 43 games with 23 starts and collected 213 tackles and 11 interceptions. He was a co-captain on UD's 2003 Division 1-AA NCAA championship team. Adams' 228 NFL games are a record for a Delaware alumnus.
2024-25: New York Giants - Assistant Secondary Coach
2023: New York Giants - Assistant Special Teams
2021: Chicago Bears - Assistant Defensive Backs
