In front of family, extended family, family friends, coaches, administrators and teammates, Evan Adams celebrated the decision that he first made in June.
He is going to continue his football career at Syracuse University.
"He's a great kid, he is very humble," Norwalk head coach Sean Ireland said. "He realizes how hard he had to work to get here."
Getting to this day was not easy for Adams who lost his father to lung cancer in 2007 and was raised by his mother Alisa Adams.
"We struggled after his dad passed away," Alisa Adams said. "I never wanted to raise a child alone."
She didn't do it totally alone and it showed on Wednesday as family member after family member walked into Norwalk High School wearing shirts of their new favorite college football team, the Syracuse Orange.
"He has had a big support system around him," said Alisa Adams, who signed up her son for a mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program after his father passed away. "I have nine brothers and sisters."
As Adams walked into the Public Forum room, filled with green and orange balloons, for both Norwalk and Syracuse, the highlights from his career played in the background on the projection screen. He stopped by and said hello to every single family member, every family friend, every teammate, anyone who was there to support him.
"My family is big, I can lean on them for whatever I needed, and I was never afraid to ask," Adams said. "They were the people who gave me tough love, they are not afraid to tell me right from wrong."
In 2007, Adams made a promise to his father that he would go to college and get a diploma.
It was both family and education that stood out about Syracuse for the two-way star, who was named to the
GameTimeCT All-State and All-FCIAC teams.
"The level of football that they are offering in the ACC was first," said Adams, but then it changed. "It has a family feel with the coaching staff and team. (Education) played a huge role, business and communication is huge there. It is comfortable to have so many options."
He added that head coach Scott Shafer and himself see eye to eye.
"We are like-minded from what he wants to do with the program to what he wants from me," Adams said.
Adams will play on the offensive line for the Orange and is expected to be one of five offensive linemen signed by the Orange.
Now with the signing behind him, Adams admitted that he wasn't really that nervous.
"Just joy, signing and knowing that I am going to Syracuse," he said.
Even with Syracuse University four-and-a-half hours away by car and a little over an hour by plane, Adams wouldn't be surprised if his big family will be there to cheer him on.
"I have no idea, my mom has nine brothers and sisters, cousins, cousins' cousins," he said. "It's going to be ridiculous."
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