“Trojans Gut Stings!” “Trojans Bounce By Ball High” “Trojans Topple Texans!” Whether it was in a news stories or in the school yearbook, behind every headline spotlighting a Trojan victory was the name Wayne Adams.

Standing an erect 230 pounds, 6 foot 6, Wayne Adams was a defensive lineman for the South Houston High School Trojans. But, get this folks! He was also a place kicker! You don’t expect a big guy like that to also be a place kicker, but Wayne Adams is the type of guy who has an all- or nothing- attitude. And it certainly worked out in favor for the Trojans. He actually played several different roles on the team depending on the need, but it was the educated toe of Wayne Adams, who helped edge his team to victory on several occasions. In fact, his senior year, during a game against LaMarque, Wayne kicked both extra points in the final seconds of the game that spelled victory for the Trojans, in a 14-13 upset for LaMarque!

Wayne was one of the best in track in discuss and shot put. There was only one guy, who Wayne still remembers to this day, who could beat him, Sam Walker, who set a national high school record in shot put and went on to play football and threw shot put at SMU.

Impressive still, Wayne earned All-District, All-Greater Houston and All-State honors in both football and track in high school. He became a two-time district champion in the shot put and discus and won the silver medal in shot put at the 1967 state track meet. For more than 40 years, he held the school and school district record in the shot put.

At West Texas State University, Wayne started two years as an offensive tackle and played a little bit as a sophomore but not enough to keep him from not being a red shirt. He elected not to go back for the fifth year because there was a change in the coaching staff. He decided to return to his Pasadena roots, earn a master’s degree, along with superintendent’s certifications from UH-CL and coach football and track at Dobie High School and South Houston High School.

His success as an athlete mirrored his accomplishments as an educator. He became assistant principal at Pasadena High School, eventually working his way up to principal of the PHS Eagles. In 1998, Wayne was named Region 4 Education Service Center’s High School Principal of the Year.