National Football Foundation

John Adams had a lifetime devotion to the game of football beginning with his days as a halfback at East Denver High School (Colo.), where he was named to the 1940 and 1941 All-City teams. He enrolled in the University of Denver, and twice earned All-Rocky Mountain Conference honors. Instead of pursuing a professional career after graduation, Adams decided to go into teaching. He was a teacher and mathematics counselor for the Denver School System, and found time to coach football, basketball and baseball at several Denver high schools. 

When he realized that he still had that football "itch," he tried his hand at officiating in 1946. He began at the high school level, and worked his way up to the college ranks in 1948. Over the next 20 years, Adams refereed games in the Skyline Conference, Rocky Mountain Conference, The Big Eight, and the Western Athletic Conference. He served as the Supervisor of Football with the WAC, and conducted clinics for WAC referees. Adams served on the NCAA Rules Committee, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, and the NCAA Football Rules Editorial Committee. 

Adams' community efforts included committee work in the Denver School System, the PTA, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.