• Mike Adams Website

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns announced Friday that they have re-signed former University of Delaware standout defensive back Mike “Pops” Adams to a three-year contract.

Adams (at right), a five-year National League Football veteran, played the last two seasons with the Browns but was an unrestricted free agent. Financial details of the agreement were not announced. He is expected to battle for a starting spot at safety this fall.

Adams, 27, who led the Blue Hens to the NCAA Division I-AA national title in 2003 for head coach K.C. Keeler, entered the league as a free agent and played with the San Francisco from 2004-06 before signing with the Browns. He played in 14 games last season with five starts and posted 42 tackles, two interceptions, a pass breakup, and a fumble recovery. He played in 15 games for the Browns in 2007 and had 28 tackles.

"Mike Adams possesses the characteristics we believe in and brings versatility to the back end of the defense," Browns general manager George Kokinis said in a statement. "We are pleased he is coming back to Cleveland."

For his NFL career, Adams has played in 67 games with 23 starts and recorded 220 tackles and seven interceptions.

During his career at Delaware in 1999-2003, Adams played in 43 games and led the Blue Hens to a 15-1 record and the 2003 national title. The Paterson, N.J. native also led Delaware to the NCAA semifinals in 2000 and recorded 213 tackles and 11 interceptions for his career. He earned third team all-conference honors in 2003.

Adams was also in the news earlier in February when he was one of three Browns players and one of 95 NFL players overall chosen to take part in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. He attended Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business this past week (March 1-4).

The program is part of an ongoing NFL-NFLPA initiative to assist players in preparing for their post-playing careers. Since the program's 2005 inception, 407 players have participated in sessions at four business schools - Stanford, Harvard, Penn, and Northwestern.

Players complete an application process in order to attend the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. Enrollment criteria includes level of education; professional business experience; interest in starting, owning, or managing a business; and leadership and community involvement. Under the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, players may be reimbursed for up to $15,000 per year for education expenses at an accredited institution of higher learning.