Jamal Adams reveals reason behind ‘best in the nation’ SNF intro

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams revealed the reasoning behind his “best in the nation” introduction for Sunday Night Football.

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams created some headlines this past Sunday for his “I’m the best in the nation” introduction for the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That caused plenty of memes and jokes sent Adams’ way due to his play through the first five games of the season at the time. But as it turns out, there was a reason behind that phrase.

Adams revealed that he said that phrase in tribute to former Tennessee State player Trabis Ward, who said he was “the best in the nation” during a 2008 interview. The safety said a friend recently shared the clip in a group chat.

Jamal Adams’ SNF introduction a tribute to Trabis Ward

“It was a viral video that’s been around for a long time,” Adams said, via the team’s official website. “One of my boys sent it to me in a group message, and I just happened to have my Sunday Night Football intro that I needed to do, and I gave him some love, rest in peace to him.

“I’m not looking for the apologies, I don’t need it. I’m a grown man. I don’t care about the memes and social media, I don’t get into that.”

You can listen to Adam’s full comments on Sunday Night Football at this link, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Ward was a recruit out of Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale and went on to play at Tennessee State. In Oct. 2020, Ward was shot and killed in Lauderdale Lakes. The father of three was only 31 years old.

Adams was not making a claim that he was the best player in the entire nation, like those on social media and the media as a whole initially thought. Rather, the safety was doing it to pay tribute to Ward.