Philadelphia Eagles rookie Josh Adams using Jay Ajayi advice to fill his shoes

When London-born Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi tore his ACL in early October it was, for pretty much everyone concerned, a nightmare.

For the Eagles, who were relying on Ajayi’s work in the run game to ease the burden on star quarterback Carson Wentz, himself only just returning from an ACL tear.

For the NFL, who lost their marquee British player - and prime UK marketing tool - just a week before the start of the International Series games at Wembley.

And for UK fans, who had been looking forward to giving only the fifth British-born Super Bowl winner a hero’s welcome in the third game of that series, between the Eagles and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But for one rookie out of Notre Dame, it has proved an opportunity.

It was a surprise when Josh Adams went unselected at this year’s NFL Draft. At times during 2017, he had been discussed as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate, having rushed for 1,430 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the Fighting Irish. Instead, he entered free agency, where he was snapped up by the Eagles in April.

The 22-year-old arrived at Philadelphia’s pre-season training camp determined to prove those who passed on him wrong, and ready to learn from the best.

“[Jay] helped me a lot in camp,” Adams told Standard Sport. “Just giving me a little bit of confidence as a young guy, to trust in my run game, trust in my ability and trying to bring my game to this offence.”

Adams made his NFL debut against the Indianapolis Colt in late September, but by the time Ajayi went down two weeks later, the Pennsylvania native had only seven carries in professional football. Still, he says, the Brit’s injury flicked a switch.

“Every man took it upon himself to work and compete, and to push the guy next to him,” Adams said. “You want more, you want to get the guys around you better, and we understood that we wanted to pick it up as a unit and really carry it on our shoulders.”

Initially used in a rotational role within the Eagles’ much-discussed running back ‘committee’, Adams had to bide his time. Both Corey Clement and Wendell Smallwood have had chances to fill Ajayi’s cleats, with limited success, but since the Eagles’ triumph at Wembley, the Josh Adams Show has kicked into life.

“Since then I've just tried to be harder on myself,” Adams said. “Continue to push myself and continue to bring the energy and intensity to practice.”

As Adams’ role grew in weeks 9, 10 and 11, so did his numbers, rushing for an average of 54 yards per game.

However, it is no coincidence that since he was given the starting job two weeks ago, the Eagles have managed back-to-back wins for the first time all year, to keep their playoff hopes alive.

In those two wins, against divisional rivals the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, Adams had a total of 169 yards and averaged 21 carries per game. That’s more than Ajayi has ever been given in one game for the Eagles, and not far off the numbers one might expect of a back operating as an out-and-out lead, like Ezekiel Elliot at the Dallas Cowboys or Todd Gurley at the L.A. Rams.

Speaking after the Redskins game, Adams was keen to acknowledge the ongoing impact of the man whose locker currently sits vacant next to him.

“[Jay] has helped me a lot when he’s been on the sidelines, just giving me little tips and advice,” he says.

“And in the film room obviously. It’s always great to have a guy like that in the room, not only where he can do it, but he can help us around him.”

This weekend, the Eagles go to Dallas, matching Adams against one of the very best around in Elliott, and we'll see just how far they, and he, have come.

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