DeMoine Adams encourages PCS students to be positive, kind leaders

Perkins County Schools welcomed former Husker and pro football player, TeamMates CEO and motivational speaker DeMoine Adams to speak to students during Red Ribbon Week.

Adams, originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, received a scholarship to play football at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and played for the Huskers from 1998 to 2002.

He then spent time in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers.

Adams was a first generation college student, and he received his Bachelor’s Degree from UNL in Political Science with minors in English, History, Communications, Ethnic Studies and African Studies. He went on to receive his Master’s degree in Educational Psychology and is currently pursuing his Doctorate at the University of Nebraska.

In August of this year, after eight years of working with the TeamMates Mentoring Program in various roles including mentoring, Post Secondary Coordinator and Program Director, Adams was named the CEO of TeamMates.

“As CEO, it is my job to somewhat oversee everything, and to do it in a servant leadership type of way,” he said. “I believe that a good leader leads with compassion, and I want to make sure all of our 180-plus chapters in all five states really see the teamwork between a community and a school district to help students reach their full potential.

“Teamwork is what makes the dream work, and I believe when we all come together to help students, they will become leaders and winners in life.”

Adams started his motivational speaking career around 10 years ago after his football career started coming to a close. Aaron Davis, a mentor for Adams and a fellow football player, helped him fill the void he was experiencing without football by using his experiences to give people a game plan to educate them on what it takes to win and be resilient even when they lose.

Though he grew up with a stutter, Adams was determined to not let that get in the way of his dream of being able to speak to people and motivate them to never quit and give their best.

“I’m very thankful that I did not give up when it was easy to allow my disability to get in the way of my ability,” he said. “At the end of the day, my humbleness and humility all go back to being a kid with a stutter.”

Adams finds his work to be “very rewarding” because he is able to use his platform to make positive difference.

“I believe we all have a platform,” he said. “We all have a responsibility to give back, and this is my way of giving back—by using my platform and my life to help keep others motivated and positive, and to help them know what it takes to be a winner.”

He credits former Husker coach and TeamMates founder Tom Osborne as a role model for his legacy both on and off the field. Adams feels he is fortunate to build his legacy as a speaker and also continue Osborne’s legacy by being a leader for today’s youth.

Though he travels around the country for his work with TeamMates and motivational speaking, Adams calls Lincoln his home.

PCS learns ‘Heart over hype’

High school principal Ben Jones had seen Adams speak a couple of times in the past, and he felt he had a great message that would be beneficial for the student body to hear.

When he spoke to Perkins County Schools students Monday morning, Adams spread messages of positivity, leadership, and knowing one’s worth.

He touched on social media, and how while there may be positive influences online, there is plenty of negativity as well. Chances are, he added, people begin to imitate those behaviors.

“We begin to have those beliefs, and we begin to have those values,” Adams told the students. “We have to take a step back and ask ourselves, ‘what are we actually about, how do these things make me feel, who are we becoming in the midst of all these pressures and influences?”

He reminded the students that while there is “a lot of hype” around being rude and disrespectful to one another, and being “inappropriate,” it is not okay to treat others poorly and spread hate rather than love.

“We have not only become followers, but we have become negative,” Adams continued. “And that is not the norm we are going to have in this school.”

He advised students to “put their hearts over the hype,” and get back to putting love before hate.

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