The Legacy of Bud Adams Jr.

Kenneth Stanley “Bud” Adams, Jr. was born on January 3, 1923, and perished by natural causes on October 21, 2013 at 90 years of age. He was the chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer of Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. (AMEX: AE). Moreover, Bud Adams was co-founder of the American Football League (Conference) in 1959 and owner of the Houston Oilers, who in 1997 would become the Tennessee Titans of Nashville Tennessee.

Born in Oklahoma, “His mother [Blanch Keeler Adams] was part Cherokee Indian, and his uncle, Bill Keefer, once headed the Cherokee nation and successfully sued the United States for $20 million for stolen land” (Gale Biography, 2004). Adams inspired to own an NFL football team, the struggling Chicago Cardinals, and move them to Houston. That along with attempting efforts to own an expansion team failed likewise. While propositioned to begin a league of their own, Bud Adams had agreed with fellow oilman Lamar Hunt and together along with seven other businessmen founded the American Football League.

Bud Adams and Lamar Hunt also owned their own teams. Founding the Houston Oilers in 1960, Bud Adams would have a rivalry battle against Lamar Hunts team the Dallas Texans, now known as the Kansas City Chiefs. While Bud Adams and Lamar Hunt held two teams rivaling against each other in neighboring cities, Bud and Harry Wismer’s relationship became vital, as they worked together to do both inaugurate the American Football League and improve the New York Titans as a team, after having undergone a difficult three year downfall until they became the New York Jets.

In 1965, the American Football League landed a television contract with NBC. In that same year the New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin would lure quarterback Joe Namath out of the University of Alabama to the AFL and was known to be the biggest contract in pro football history. With the NFL and AFL both fighting for fans, players and coaches, the choice was made and on June 8th 1966 the NFL agreed to merge with the AFL for which we know today as the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference – The NFL

In what is comparable to the New York Titans struggling at home playing in Polo Grounds Stadium, “The Bathtub”, where fans were few and afar, Bud Adams team Houston Oilers began a struggle into a slump so fierce fans had then started to slowly wither away. Seemingly, no light at the end of this struggle could be foreseen, thereby Bud began to seek a new home for the Houston Oilers if major changes didn’t take place; inevitably, in 1997 the franchise was moved to Nashville Tennessee and named the Tennessee Titans.

Bud Adams had always wanted to show how grateful he was to Nashville for supporting the Houston Oilers and therefore sought after players that would make a winning team. In 2011, Adams tried to bring Peyton Manning to the Titans franchise after he had a surgery that put him out for the entire 2011 season, and also signed Jake Locker from the University of Washington eighth overall pick. Likewise, the Oilers drafted Mike Munchak in 1982 eighth pick overall where he would finish his career after 12 seasons as a player and take on coaching roles in 1994 as an offensive assistant. Coach Munchak spent three years in this position and then moved to offensive line coach where he would spend fourteen years. Jeff Fisher was released as head coach in 2011, thereby Mike Munchak took over as head coach.

Kenneth Stanley “Bud” Adams Jr. will forever remain the mark of every yard and triumph of every end zone, where his passion for hard work, honor, and true grit will hold his legacy and the pride of the NFL.

Written October 21, 2013 by Philip K. Wiley III

Source Citation of Research

“Kenneth S. Adams, Jr.” Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Biography In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.