Adams not taking anything for granted ahead of Stamps’ opener

Before the question was even finished, Calgary Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. smiled and shook his head.

“Last year, I was in the same spot,” he said. “I don’t feel any different [this year]. I’m still earning my spot, earning my paycheque, coming in early, staying late, doing what I need to do to hopefully be successful on game day.”

Adams, of course, was referring to opening the 2024 season as the undisputed starting quarterback of the BC Lions. Adams was putting together a Most Outstanding Player-type season for the Lions, but injured his knee in early August.

Calgary hosts the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. MT on TSN 1, 3, and 4.

Nathan Rourke, who returned from the NFL that same month, took over the starting job, and Adams was traded to the Stamps for the ninth and 29th selections in the 2025 CFL Draft and their 2026 second-round pick soon after the season concluded.

Prior to his injury, Adams had thrown for 14 touchdowns, six interceptions, and nearly 2,500 yards, leading BC to a 5-2 record before he hurt his knee in their Aug. 1 game in Winnipeg. BC went 4-7 the rest of the way, losing their lone playoff game.

He admitted after the season ended that he was crushed by the Lions’ decision to go with Rourke.

It wasn’t the first time Adams had been overlooked. In 2021 as the Montreal Alouettes starter, he passed for nearly 2,000 yards but was injured midway through the campaign. The team acquired veteran Trevor Harris, who replaced Adams as the full-time starter the following season. He also had previous stints in Saskatchewan and Hamilton.

Now under centre for a franchise trying to redefine its identity, Adams, 32, brings not only a skill set as a dual-threat quarterback, but the hard-won experience of someone who’s been doubted more than once.

“You have to be resilient,” he said. “The media, teammates, organizations – they’ll always turn on you, but your family won’t. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters to me. My kids, my family. I don’t really care what you say, what anyone says. Anybody, honestly. Coaches, GMs. Anybody.”

Adams leaned on his faith during those uncertain stretches of his career. He also gained a new perspective on his CFL quarterback journey. Early on, he admitted, he might have taken to social media to vent his frustrations. Now?

“I could be at home doing something else and not getting paid to play,” he said. “There were times I got benched and I was making $400,000. What am I going to complain about?”

Calgary receiver Dominique Rhymes was with Adams in BC. He frequently uses the word “brother” when describing their bond.

“It’s the complexity of the league,” he said of Adams’ circuitous route to Calgary. “The thing about Vernon [is] he shrugs it off. He keeps playing. He keeps making big plays…we’re excited to have him as our quarterback.”

Receiver Reggie Begelton has been with the Stamps since 2017. He’s seen the likes of Bo Levi Mitchell and Jake Maier command the Calgary offence. Begelton said Adams leads, in part, by empowering those around him. He’ll sometimes push a rookie or softer-spoken player to speak up in the huddle.

“He puts people out of their comfort zones and allows them to speak as well,” he said. “He calls them out to see what you’re going to do…after warmups, it’s not just the same guys speaking before practice. He’ll call somebody out and say, ‘Hey, what are you going to say?’ It makes everybody one.”

Adams frequently stays on the field after practice concludes to interact with everyone in all facets of the team. On Instagram, he shouts out the defence and special teams. Adams said it’s important to involve backups and practice squad players because they’re one play away from being in the spotlight. He knows firsthand.

“You’ve just got to stay prepared and ready all the time,” Adams said.

He feels he’s adjusted well to a new city and playbook.

“We’ve still got to find out our identity and who we are after we play a game, and keep going one week at a time,” he said. “I feel like we had a pretty good camp as a team. We gelled pretty well.”

Head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson often talks about authentic leadership and has been impressed with Adams.

“I don’t need fancy plays, but do what’s required to win, and he’s done that in his career,” Dickenson said.

Dickenson made several changes to a roster that finished 5-12-1 last year and missed the playoffs for the first time in two decades. There are several new starters on defence, including defensive lineman Folarin Orimolade, who Calgary re-acquired in a deal with the Argonauts for linebacker Cameron Judge.

Dickenson emphasized that Adams is one of 12 players on the field, but that he’ll set the tone for those around him.

“He finds ways to win ball games, even when sometimes he doesn’t have his best stuff,” Dickenson said. “You’ve got to make sure everyone knows we’re rowing in the same direction and we’re all here for the right reasons. His energy is contagious though; there’s no doubt about it.”

Adams is embodying that role early in his Stampeders’ tenure – and not taking his position for granted.

“That’s all I want to do,” Adams said, “is show that I can be the guy and lead the team to wins.”