Video: MaxPreps Male High School Athlete of the Year
Swift outfielder signed a $4.1 million bonus with the Los Angeles Angels.
In 46 years of leading high school football teams, David Green said he's never coached for or against an athlete as amazing as
Jordyn Adams.
"Great hands, great speed, great kid — he can catch anything," Green said. "Best blocking receiver I've ever seen too. His ability on the football field is unreal."
And yet, it's Adams second best sport.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound recent graduate of
Green Hope (Cary, N.C.) was the 17th pick of the MLB Draft earlier this month and last week reportedly signed for $4.1 million.
Impressive considering the slot was valued at $3,472,900.
But with a football scholarship to North Carolina in the bank — his father Deke Adams is an assistant coach for the Tar Heels — and a future NFL career a real possibility (
247Sports ranked him the No. 58 recruit overall from the Class of 2018), Adams definitely had a bargaining chip.
Here's another credential he might have used during negotiations had he waited: Adams is the 2017-18 MaxPreps Male High School Athlete of the Year.
He joins the likes of Derrick Henry, Patrick Mahomes, Lonzo Ball and Kyler Murray, another two-way standout considering his professional football and baseball options, as previous MaxPreps Athlete of the Year winners.
"Richly deserved," Green said. "No doubt. Hard to be an All-American in two sports.
"Beyond all that athleticism, he's just a great kid. He enjoys all the other kids and they enjoy him. In many ways, he's just a typical high school kid. Except now he's an instant millionaire (laughter)."
Record-breaking California running back and state 100-meter champion
Kazmier Allen of
Tulare Union (Tulare, Calif.), national 100 leader, multi Florida-record holder and four-star receiver
Anthony Schwartz of
American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), and Mississippi junior football and baseball star
Jerrion Ealy, were other top vote getters.
But Adams clinched it with a big baseball season — .453 average, 34 hits, 29 runs, 31 steals — after a superb football campaign (54 catches, 1,060 yards, 12 touchdowns). Most thought with his father's football background, he would have taken the gridiron route.
Jordyn Adams hit better than .450 his senior season and Green Hope with 31 steals.
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
He was projected to go anywhere from rounds one through three in the baseball draft. Being selected in the middle of the first changed everything.
"It was sort of a no-brainer (to sign)," Green said. "We knew baseball was a strong possibility. He's got great parents and he's a smart kid. They were going to make the right call."
Despite the big signing bonus and all his exploits on both fields, Adams is probably best known for a dunk he made at a church gym back at his previous home in Blythewood (S.C.) two years ago.
Adams, in casual clothes, cocked the ball well behind his head, was well above the rim and tomahawked the ball straight down over a friend. He walked away calmly while all in the gym went bonkers.
The jam was caught on tape, went viral, all the way to the SportCenter Top 10.
Adams may have put on the helmet and pads for the last time in January at the Army All-American Game.
Photo by: Lester Rosebrock
A star was born.
"I have done 360s and things like that before, but this is probably be one of the best," Adams told
The State newspaper of Columbia (S.C.) at the time. "I didn't think it would have this response."
When Adams moved from Blythewood to Cary in December of 2016 to be closer to his dad, Green had a conversation with Deke Adams about his son. Green was somewhat familiar with Jordyn but not entirely.
"(Deke) asked me if I had ever seen that viral video of the kid dunking at the church, which I had," Green said. "He said, ‘that's Jordyn.' I went, ‘All right then.' "
Over the next season Jordyn showed Green he was much more than a high-flying basketball dunker.
"That video does show how truly athletic Jordyn is," Green said. "But he he's so much more than that."
Past MaxPreps Male High School Athletes of the Year
2007-08 — Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette (Pa.): Football, basketball
2008-09 — Garrett Gilbert, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas): Football
2009-10 — Dorial Green-Beckham, Hillcrest (Springfield, Mo.): Football, basketball, track and field
2010-11 — Kasen Williams, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.): Football, basketball, track and field
2011-12 — Anthony Alford, Petal (Miss): Football, baseball
2012-13 — Derrick Henry, Yulee (Fla.): Football
2013-14 — Patrick Mahomes, Whitehouse (Texas): Football, basketball baseball
2014-15 — Kyler Murray, Allen (Texas): Football, baseball
2015-16 — Lonzo Ball, Chino Hills (Calif.): Basketball
2016-17 — Tim Tawa, West Linn (Ore.): Football, basketball, baseball
2017-18 — Jordyn Adams, Green Hope (Cary, N.C.): Football, baseball
