Football: Former Cajun Adams Keeps Arizona Alive

Courtesy: RaginCajuns.com  http://www.ragincajuns.com

Former Ragin’ Cajuns defensive back and current Arizona Cardinals cornerback Michael Adams helped give the Cardinals a 51-45 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the highest scoring game in NFL playoff history.

Adams had a tough game up to that point with two pass interference penalties, a holding penalty and an illegal substitution infraction.  He missed an opportunity for a sack in the first half and was picked-on in coverage several times during the second half.

But Adams had the last laugh, coming off a cornerback blitz on the fourth play in overtime, he hit quarterback Aaron Rodgers and knocked the ball loose. Adams’ forced fumble was returned for the game-winning touchdown by Karlos Dansby to propel Arizona into the second round of the NFL playoffs, where they will face the New Orleans Saints.

Adams returns to Louisiana, where he spent four seasons as a cornerback for the Cajuns from 2003-06.  He collected 140 tackles and four interceptions in his college career.

The third-year pro played in all 16 regular season games for the Cardinals in 2009, making 40 tackles with one interception.  Sunday’s game was the fifth post-season game (33^rd game overall) of his NFL career.

Adams is the last former Cajuns player active in the NFL playoffs, as Cincinnati (Kyries Hebert) was defeated by the New York Jets on Saturday by a final score of 24-14.

The Cardinals would need a second straight run to the championship game if the Cajuns Super Bowl streak, currently at four straight seasons, were to continue.

In an extraordinary feat, the Cajuns have been represented in the big game in each of the last four seasons, five of the past six and six of the last nine Super Bowls.

Only 19 schools have been represented in each of the last four Super Bowls and just one from outside the BCS.

Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Boston College, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Louisiana State, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Texas can boast former players in Super Bowls XL, XLI, XLII and XLIII.

The Cajuns saw Ike Taylor start XL, Charles Tillman started for the Chicago Bears in XLI, while Brandon Stokley was an inactive member of the Indianapolis Colts.  Antwain Spann played for the New England Patriots in XLII before Taylor and Adams faced each other in XLIII.

Forty-three Ragin’ Cajuns have continued their football career by playing in the NFL.