By: Jacob Eisenberg
Just last October, the California Golden Bears held high aspirations for their 2013 season. Then, before the team really had an opportunity to show its potential, the team’s star offensive lineman – Chris Adcock – tore nearly every ligament in his knee during a routine afternoon practice.
California-Berkeley went on to suffer their worst season in years, winning only one game over the entire season.
Fast forward 13 months and the Golden Bears have already quadrupled their win total from last season. What’s the key behind the team’s sudden turnaround? Look no further than a healthy and motivated Chris Adcock back in the scrum.
California’s head coach Sonny Dykes makes it no secret that Adcock is a vital member of the team:
"He's the heart and soul of our program and what's good about college athletics," Dykes said.
But at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Chris Adcock is anything but a stereotypical jock. In fact, according to NFL.com, Adcock is one of the 14 smartest athletes in college football.
When Adcock isn’t leading the Golden Bears’ offensive line, he’s spending his college career staying busy with community involvement.
For example, following Hurricane Katrina, Adcock traveled on a mission trip to New Orleans to help restore the city. Charitable work runs in his family. In the years since his mission to New Orleans, Adcock has expanded his missionary work oversees.
Adcock has made two trips to Ghana, Africa to help his mother’s charity (The Christina Adcock Family Foundation) construct a local hospital. He plans to return to Ghana to continue helping with the construction of the hospital in January of 2015.
Through the Sage Mentorship Program in Berkeley, California, Adcock has also maintained focus on the growth of his local community.
But Adcock’s value to Cal’s program exceeds both the gridiron and the community; he’s also a star student in the classroom. Between a double major in Business Administration and Interdisciplinary Studies, Adcock has pushed himself toward academic greatness. As he nears graduation in December of 2014, Adcock’s cumulative GPA of 3.52 has earned him consecutive spots on the PAC-12’s All-Academic first team and semifinalist consideration for the Campbell Trophy -- better known as “the academic Heisman.”
Adcock does not take the recognition lightly:
“It’s the culmination of all the work I have put in in the classroom,” Adcock said. “It’s exciting and nice to be recognized … I’m honored to have been chosen to go to this level and we’ll see where it goes from here. I’m looking forward to it.”
Adcock plans to attend medical school following his graduation. He wants to continue to help people throughout his career.
"Chris is gonna be a future doctor someday, he's a really bright young man," Dykes said. "He's one of those guys everybody respects, everybody admires the way he comes to work every day, rolls his sleeves up and gets to work."
In the next two months, Adcock believes his team has a lot to prove on the field:
"I've been at a Cal for a long time now. I want to leave my mark on the football program. We have a great opportunity to come back from what happened last year."
~ Chris Adcock