Davante Adams is not a wide receiver who’s afraid to go over the middle and take a shot from a safety or linebacker. It’s part of what makes him so great, but it’s also led to some painful moments throughout his career.
During an interview on the “Dan Patrick Show” Wednesday, the Los Angeles Rams receiver recalled the time he got hit so hard by New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins that he couldn’t eat for a week and a half after.
Why? Because he wasn’t wearing a mouth guard and bit through his tongue on impact.
“My second year, preseason, we were playing the Patriots and I ran another slant and thought I was getting busy after,” Adams said. “This was before I would wear a mouthpiece. Caught it, was getting ready to turn up and Jamie Collins hit me in my – like, one of these, in your chest – and then raised up so he made me bite through my tongue and I couldn’t eat food for like a week and a half. I had to go on a strictly liquid diet.”
Naturally, Patrick asked why Adams didn’t wear a mouth guard at that point in his career and he admits the logic isn’t sound.
“Well, my reason is going to be even dumber than not wearing a mouthpiece,” Adams said.
It’s because he wore a gold grill during games, which started back in his high school days in East Palo Alto.
“I would wear a gold grill – like, the gold teeth – in games. So I wore the tops and bottoms in games and it started in high school because it was kind of like a culture thing. I grew up in East Palo Alto and that was a real popular thing. Guys wore grills and I just decided to keep it and it kind of worked as an intimidation factor, a little bit. People would see it and be like, ‘Oh, (expletive). This dude’s wearing gold teeth in a game? Oh my god.’ And then I would talk a little crazier to them, too, and put all that together.”
Thankfully, Adams decided to wear a mouth guard the very next game after taking that shot from Collins.
“So, yeah. Not the best reason and I put one in the next game after that,” he said.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams’ Davante Adams recalls biting through his tongue due to hard hit