Spotlight on Adam Biggs

After our recent Q&A with Tony Mackenzie, we are delighted here at ukamericansportsfans to be able to publish a recent chat with Adam Biggs of the Coventry Jets.

Adam began playing American Football in the UK in 2001. He had been playing rugby in Bolton when a team mate asked him to come along to a football training session. When we asked Adam about it, he said “I have to say that at the time I did not have a clue what it was. So I went down put some pads on, and got my arse kicked for two hours. I fell in love with the sport straight away.”

Adam trained with the Lancashire Wolverines youth team and whilst there, they made the national championships twice in the three seasons he ran out for them. Adam told us that “Unfortunately, we never won either of those finals. But my passion for the sport developed during those seasons as I was also picked to represent England against Scotland in 2003.” The Coventry Jet also represented Great Britan against Holland in the same season.

Adam moved up to Senior football in 2004, staying with the Wolverines. His impressive from continued and he was selected to play for the GB Lions at the Group B European Championships. Adam said “We won the Group B championship, and that involved some of the closest and toughest games I have ever played in to date. The experience was phenomenal.” After that summer he moved to Coventry University and joined up with the Coventry Jets. The Jets had played just one season as the Jaguars before Adam joined their ranks.

His signing coincided with a great run of form for the Coventry side, who took very little time to establish themselves in the UK game. The Jets won back to back divisions, taking the Division 2 title in 2005 and the Division 1 title in 2006. Adam recalls their first season in the top flight (2007) which they prepared for by travelling to play against the Milan Rhinos in a pre-season friendly. The Coventry outfit lost just one regular season game that season (their first domestic defeat in three seasons), and made it to the national final after their second placed finish in the league. The team who had handed out the regular season defeat (London Blitz) were on hand again to spoil the party. The Blitz won the BritBowl final 14-6.

That year also saw Adam compete in the EFAF competition for the first time, which was another new experience for him in his successful career. Unfortunately, Adam told us of his memory of being beaten by the Cineplexx Blue Devils in Austria, to end their involvement in the competition.

In to the following season, Adam remembered “2008 saw us make an even bigger step, entering the EuroBowl competition. We made great progress by making it all the way to the quarter final where we took on one of the best teams in Europe, the Tirol Raiders. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the cut against them. However, at the end of that season, we made up for it by beating London Blitz and claiming the Premiership crown.” Tirol Raiders went ont to lift the EuroBowl trophy that season.

Taking us in to recent history, Adam has played in a Jets’ side that made it to the national final at the highest level in each of the last two seasons. Again however, on each of these occassions, the London Blitz have had the edge over Coventry and defeated the Jets in both finals.

We closed our chat with Adam previewing the upcoming season. Looking ahead, Adam said “This season we are taking on the big European teams once again in EFAF with a young team, and I’m still as excited now as I was when I started back in 2001. I have been very fortunate to have accomplished what I have and it’s amazing that within ten seasons of playing this game, I have accomplished more accolades then most amateur sportsman can only dream about. To me this is down to the opportunities that the BAFACL have provided. At the moment, I’m taking on an even bigger challenge as Head Coach of Coventry Jets Junior team”.

Picture courtesy of Scott Moynihan Images.