Anthony "Spice" Adams spent nearly a decade in the NFL touring the country and playing in every stadium environment in the league.
But while Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, might be known as the loudest venue in the NFL, many players don't get to experience the party that happens before they touch the field.
Adams is touring tailgates around the country in a bus featuring him wearing a yellow suit — yes, it's the famous meme — in a partnership with Tide to tackle stains. He's visited Kansas City, New Orleans and Buffalo so far and says it's been unlike anything he's ever experienced.
Stains from gumbo, barbecue sauce or ranch dressing can ruin game day fits, which might be more problematic than ever as the football world has embraced fashion. During his playing days, Adams was known for his big personality and own sense of style. Even though he hung up his helmet in 2011, he's still not afraid to stand out. He fully embraced the fan culture of each city he visited and reflected on how his playing days helped form the motivation to be his own person.
Kick The Concrete spoke with Adams on behalf of Tide about living it up with NFL fans and why it was important for him to keep his style game up.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Kick The Concrete: Why was this partnership with Tide a good fit for you?
Anthony "Spice" Adams: Tide is going to tailgates and it’s so cool as a former player to be on this side of everything. ‘Cause while you’re playing, you’re just worried about playing the game. You’re worried about remembering your plays and making plays on the field and all that type of stuff. And when you’re on your way to the stadium, you ride past everybody in their RV or their trucks or their cars and they’re having a good time. They’re playing catch, they’re eating the best food, they’re laughing, they’re joking. And so Tide has partnered up with me and there’s a picture of me behind the tree in the yellow suit that’s on an RV and we’re traveling to different cities tackling stains. That is genius! And you do it with a guy like me who can appreciate a good tailgate and can appreciate football. So I think it’s just a beautiful relationship and it’s a beautiful campaign because it celebrates all the tailgate rituals and activities and customs and cuisines.
We’ve been to three cities so far: Buffalo, Kansas City and New Orleans and each city has their own type of swag. They have their own energy. They have their own way that they cheer for their teams. So to be a part of that tradition and that culture and to just be thrown in the mud, it was just, oh man, I can’t even describe, words do it a disservice. But shoutout to Tide for stepping up and making something like this so fun.
KTC: It sounds like the key word is fun! Of those three cities, did anything surprise you? An element of their community or the food?
ASA: Nothing really surprised me because I do have experience with playing in all of those cities. But the hospitality was amazing. Especially in New Orleans with it being so hot, people were inviting me over to their air conditioned tent and to all of the food and everything everybody was giving me. It was great. It was a great thing to be a part of. I think it’s something that all players should experience. That tailgating experience, those fans, that energy, it’s, I wish I could bottle it up. It was a great thing to be a part of, a great thing to see. I had a great time. It was a very memorable experience.
KTC: That’s awesome. The fans create their own team atmosphere.
ASA: Yes, and they do it every week. They get there early. The game is at 12 p.m., they’re there at 5 a.m., 4 a.m. It’s amazing.
KTC: How is Tide tackling stains or what is some stain advice you have for fans?
ASA: It’s inevitable. If you’re at Buffalo, Kansas City, New Orleans or any one of those places, you’re gonna get some powdered sugar on you from beignets or you’re gonna get some type of gumbo on you or you’re gonna get some barbecue on you if you’re in Kansas City. In Buffalo, there’s this huge thing Blue Cheese and Ranch dressing. You’re gonna get both of those dressings onto your shirt or onto your jersey, things like that. I had a Tide fanny back and in that fanny pack, I had Tide pods. So I was handing out Tide pods to everybody and before we could even get started, someone was asking for a Tide pod. So it just makes sense. You know they’re gonna be stains there.
KTC: In the announcement video for the partnership, you’re wearing a sparkly jumper outfit and you’ve always had your own sense of style. It seems like football fashion in general has grown so much and evolved. What are your thoughts on how the NFL has embraced fashion even more today?
ASA: Like Coach Prime say, you look good, you feel good, you play good. And so a lot of the players have really just took the torch and ran with it. Some of the stuff I probably can’t get away with and I don’t know what people should wear or shouldn’t wear. But back when I was playing, we had to wear suits to away games, so you had to make sure that you got your suits tailor-made and things like that so you won’t get clowned. ‘Cause if you just show up there with just a regular black suit and a white shirt with a tie and you keep wearing that every week, pretty soon, people gonna think you’re a limo driver. I had people come in and just throw me keys, just say, 'Hey man, park it around front.' It’s so many jokes that go on in the locker room, so you gotta make sure that you’re on your Ps and Qs when it comes to the fashion. I will say that.
KTC: Are there any players that stand out to you as doing a good job?
ASA: When you say good job, that’s kinda subjective!
KTC: That’s true!
ASA: I don’t know if I’ve looked at anybody’s outfit and was just like ah, he’s killing it or whatever. But Stefon Diggs, I seen him one time in like a fur coat or something like that. He gets real flamboyant. I’ve seen Travis Kelce wear some things. I’ve seen Kyler Murray wear like a lime green suit, something like that. I’ve got yellow suits, I’ve got ROYGBIV, I’ve got every suit imaginable. So I’m probably not the person to be talking about fashion, but I can step out and get down with the get down every so often.
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