Excited for his final year here at Niles West, senior Chris Adams walked into the new school year with a very upbeat attitude. Adams is ready to take on his last football season and to make the most of his senior year.

Adams has been playing football for three years at Niles West. He knows that it is something he wants to continue now, but it wasn’t always easy.

“I’ve only played for three years. I played my freshman year but I quit because I made the B team and didn’t feel like I was good enough,” Adams said.

Adams strives to do better in school in order to take his football career further in the future.

“Academically, I want to get my GPA up a little higher so that I can get into a decent college,” Adams said. “I have high hopes for football and I’m excited to play defense for the first time this year as d-tackle.”

Football is a true escape for Adams because it is a really great way to take out his anger in a safe way.

“Football makes me feel like I am a part of something, and I love that,” Adams said. “I’m a good kid during school and I don’t get into fights, so I have a lot of aggression that I can take out on the field.”

Adams is not sure what he wants to do with his future, but senior year can definitely be frightening.

“Senior year is a bit scary because there is a chance after this year that I won’t see the kids I have been with since third grade, and I’m not sure what I want to do with my adult life yet,” Adams said.

Senior and longtime friend Mirsad Mackic has seen Adams work hard in everything he does throughout his journey.

“I’ve known Chris almost my whole life. We met and has class together in third grade,” Mackic said. “Chris has always been a hard worker when we wants something, especially with football. He is always in the gym, getting better and stronger and trying to achieve his goals.”

Another friend, senior Josh Weichel, is glad to have worked alongside Chris as a teammate and a friend.

“Chris is a great teammate, and he always picks his teammates up when they’re down,” Weichel said. “I enjoy playing with him because of how hard he works. He went from a freshman B player to a two year varsity starter, and I admire him for that.”