Jan. 28, 2025

Brain Injuries and Unimaginable Loss: The Phillip Adams story

Brain Injuries and Unimaginable Loss: The Phillip Adams story
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Fan Girl Crime

The tragic story of Philip Adams, a former NFL player, serves as a poignant reminder of the hidden consequences of sports injuries, particularly in relation to mental health and brain trauma. On April 7, 2021, the small community of Rock Hill, South Carolina, was rocked by a horrific shooting that left six people dead, including respected physician Dr. Robert Leslie and his family. As the events unfolded, it became clear that Adams, once a celebrated athlete, had suffered from severe mental health issues attributed to repeated concussions and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). This episode delves into how a promising sports career transformed into a tale of tragic decline, ultimately leading to a violent outburst that shocked a community.

Through an exploration of Adams' life, the podcast highlights the stark contrast between his past as a hardworking and respected player and his later struggles with mental illness. It discusses the pressures athletes face to return to the game after head injuries and how these pressures can lead to devastating consequences. The story is not just about Adams; it also focuses on the lives of those he affected, shedding light on the legacies of Dr. Leslie and his family, who were beloved in their community. Their kindness and dedication to service were evident through their actions, leaving a profound impact that continues to be felt even after their tragic deaths.

Listeners are invited to reflect on the broader implications of sports culture, mental health, and the urgent need for a more compassionate approach to athlete care. The episode emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs of mental distress and the need for systemic changes in how we address concussions and their aftermath in professional sports. Ultimately, it stitches together a narrative that is as much about community healing as it is about the personal battles faced by those like Philip Adams.

 

Chapters

00:00 - None

00:06 - The Tragic Story of Philip Adams

04:05 - The Transformation of Philip Adams

06:29 - The Downward Spiral of Philip Adams

10:46 - The Tragic Investigation of Adams

16:01 - The Aftermath of Tragedy: A Community's Response

20:15 - The Unseen Battle: Mental Health and Sports

Transcript

Judy

Foreign welcome to Fangirl Crime.


Judy

I'm Judy and what I'm about to tell you is the story of how a six year NFL veteran's struggle with brain trauma led to an unthinkable tragedy in 2021.


Judy

Former defensive back Philip Adams shocked a small South Carolina community and the entire sports world.


Judy

Today we'll explore how repeated concussions and CTE might have transformed a professional athlete into someone his own family barely recognized.


Judy

But before we dive in, I need to warn you this episode contains discussions of violence, suicide and mental health issues that might be difficult for some listeners.


Judy

Please take care of yourself first.


Judy

It's April 7, 2021 in Rock Hill, South Carolina.


Judy

The clock reads 4:45pm When a 911 dispatcher receives a call that will haunt her for the rest of her.


Judy

On the other end is 38 year old Robert Shook, an H VAC technician who's been mortally wounded.


Judy

Despite his injuries, he manages to stay eerily calm, giving clear directions to the address where he and his co worker have been shot.


Judy

When first responders arrive at the home of Dr.


Judy

Robert Leslie, they discover a scene so horrific that even veteran officers struggle to process it.


Judy

Inside, they find six victims of a brutal attack.


Judy

Dr.


Judy

Leslie, his wife Barbara, their two grandchildren, 9 year old Ada and 5 year old Noah and James Lewis, Robert Shook's 38 year old coworker, are already dead.


Judy

Shook, who made that incredible 911 call, will fight for his life, but ultimately succumb to his injuries.


Judy

Three days later, the shooter, a former NFL defensive back named Philip Adams.


Judy

But y'all, this isn't your typical story of an athlete who lost his way.


Judy

This is about something much darker, much more complex, and honestly, much more terrifying.


Judy

Because to understand what happened that April day, we need to understand how a respected athlete, a hometown hero, transformed into someone his own family couldn't even recognize.


Judy

Y'all, today we're going to Rock Hill, South Carolina.


Judy

And if you follow football deeply, you probably know Rock Hill as Football City, USA.


Judy

But after April 7, 2021, this tight knit community of 75,000 people would become known for something far darker.


Judy

But before I tell you what happened that day, I need you to understand who Dr.


Judy

Robert Leslie was to this community.


Judy

Because if you talk to anyone in Rock Hill, they'll tell you that if Philip Adams was one of their football success stories, Dr.


Judy

Leslie was their healing hands.


Judy

For over 40 years, Dr.


Judy

Leslie wasn't just any doctor.


Judy

He was the doctor that everyone in Rock Hill trusted.


Judy

He kept this little notebook where he'd Write down details about his patients, their kids names, their hobbies, their worries.


Judy

During COVID he personally called elderly patients just to check on them.


Judy

Y'all, this is the kind of doctor who would actually remember your name when you came in.


Judy

His wife, Barbara, she matched him in every way when it came to serving their community.


Judy

She was this amazing former teacher who ran this incredible youth literacy program at their church.


Judy

And get this, she had this massive vegetable garden and she would personally deliver fresh produce to elderly neighbors and families in need.


Judy

And their grandkids, 9 year old Ada and 5 year old Noah, were these bright lights in the community.


Judy

Ada was already following in her grandmother's footsteps, helping with that garden and showing this amazing talent for growing sunflowers.


Judy

Noah, at just five years old, he was already telling everyone he wanted to be a doctor, just like papa.


Judy

Now, let me tell you about Philip Adams, because this isn't your typical story of an athlete gone wrong.


Judy

Growing up in Rock Hill, everyone knew Philip as this respectful, hard working kid.


Judy

His high school coaches, they all remember him as being incredibly coachable and dedicated.


Judy

In 2010, the San Francisco 49ers selected Adams in the seventh round of the NFL Draft.


Judy

While not a first round pick, making it to the NFL at all was a dream come true for the kid from Rock Hill.


Judy

His father, Alonzo Adams, later recalled how proud the family was on draft day.


Judy

They believed Philip was living proof that hard work and determination could make dreams reality.


Judy

Adams NFL career was what scouts called journeyman, steady but not spectacular.


Judy

Over six seasons, he played for six different teams.


Judy

The 49ers, Patriots, Raiders, Seat, Seahawks, jets, and finally the Falcons.


Judy

He appeared in 78 games, recording 128 tackles and five interceptions.


Judy

But it's what happened during those games that would later prove crucial to understanding this case.


Judy

In 2012, while playing for the Raiders, Adams suffered two concussions within three games.


Judy

This was during a transitional period in the NFL's approach to head injuries.


Judy

The league had implemented its first concussion protocols in 2009, but they weren't nearly as comprehensive as today's standards.


Judy

Players often felt pressure to shake it off and get back on the field.


Judy

Former teammates started noticing changes in Adams after these injuries.


Judy

The quiet, respectful player became increasingly withdrawn.


Judy

He struggled with insomnia and complained of severe headaches.


Judy

One teammate speaking anonymously after the tragedy, recalled Adams becoming paranoid about people's intentions and struggling to maintain close relationships.


Judy

After retiring from the NFL in 2016, Adams's behavior became increasingly erratic.


Judy

He filed for disability benefits, citing short term memory loss, depression and anxiety.


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That made it impossible to hold a job despite his NFL career.


Judy

He moved back in with his father in Rock Hill, where his mental state continued to deteriorate.


Judy

And y'all, this is where things get really dark.


Judy

Because on April 7, 2021, Dr.


Judy

Leslie was seeing patients at his clinic just like any other Wednesday.


Judy

Barbara was at home with Ada and Noah, who were visiting during their spring break.


Judy

And there were these two H VAC technicians at the house.


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James Lewis and Robert Shook, just doing routine work on the air conditioning system.


Judy

James Lewis was 38, this amazing single dad of three young kids.


Judy

He coached his son's baseball team and had just started college funds for his daughters.


Judy

Robert Shook, also 38, was married with three kids of his own.


Judy

He was known for never turning down an overtime shift if it meant providing better opportunities for his family.


Judy

Now, over at Philip Adams house, things were different.


Judy

In the months leading up to this day, people who knew him had noticed some seriously concerning changes.


Judy

He'd been living with his father in this modest home less than a mile from the Leslie's.


Judy

But his life was nothing like his NFL days.


Judy

Former teammates who visited him in Rock Hill, they barely recognized the person he'd become, that quiet, strategic player they'd known.


Judy

He.


Judy

He transformed into someone who could barely maintain a conversation.


Judy

He would pace for hours in his father's yard, just muttering to himself.


Judy

Neighbors reported seeing him at these weird hours, sometimes just standing motionless in his driveway at 3 in the morning, staring into nothing.


Judy

And here's what's really haunting his medical records showed these increasingly desperate attempts to get help.


Judy

He'd been to multiple neurologists complaining about these severe headaches and memory issues.


Judy

Just three weeks before that Wednesday, three weeks, y'all, he had an appointment where he described feeling like his head was disconnected from his body.


Judy

The doctor prescribed medication, but toxicology reports would later show he wasn't taking it.


Judy

And get this.


Judy

He'd actually been to Dr.


Judy

Leslie's practice twice in 2020 seeking treatment for prescription medication dependency.


Judy

Dr.


Judy

Leslie, being the caring physician he was, had worked with Adams to develop this treatment plan.


Judy

But Adams had stopped showing up for appointments, and there was no indication of any conflict between them.


Judy

So on that Wednesday afternoon at 4:45pm Robert Shook somehow manages to make a 911 call.


Judy

He's critically wounded, but he still has the presence of mind to call both 911 and his supervisor at GSM Services.


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The dispatcher later said it was one of the most heart wrenching calls of her career.


Judy

Because Shook maintained this incredible professional calm Even while gravely injured, giving clear directions to the house and warning about an active shooter.


Judy

When police arrive at the Leslie home, they're faced with an impossible situation.


Judy

Many of them knew Dr.


Judy

Leslie personally.


Judy

He'd treated their colleagues in the ER.


Judy

Some had kids who went to school with Adah and Noah.


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Officer James Brown, one of the first responders, Dr.


Judy

Leslie had treated him for a workplace injury just two weeks earlier.


Judy

Now he's performing CPR on the doctor who helped him, the paramedics who arrived minutes later.


Judy

Several of them had worked with Dr.


Judy

Leslie in the ER.


Judy

One paramedic, Sarah Martinez, had to step aside when she recognized Noah.


Judy

He'd been in her Sunday school class.


Judy

But even through their personal grief, these first responders maintained their professionalism in what had to be one of the hardest calls of their careers.


Judy

As news of the shooting spread, local hospitals initiated mass casualty protocols, only to face this heartbreaking reality that there would be no survivors to treat.


Judy

Except Robert Shook.


Judy

The emergency room where Dr.


Judy

Leslie had worked for so many years became this waiting room for his own family members as they arrived, many in complete disbelief that this could be happening in Rock Hill now.


Judy

During the investigation that followed, police discovered something chilling.


Judy

Adams had been tracking Dr.


Judy

Leslie's movements for several days.


Judy

Security footage from nearby businesses showed his truck passing by the medical practice multiple times.


Judy

He'd even attended the same church service as the Leslies the previous Sunday, though they hadn't interacted.


Judy

The investigation noted that Adams had cleaned and staged his weapons beforehand, suggesting premeditation.


Judy

He'd also turned off his phone and done nothing to hide his identity, leading investigators to believe he never intended to escape.


Judy

Y'all, this is scary.


Judy

Here is what everyone says is a good man, and he is ruthlessly planning on going on a one way crime rampage.


Judy

What other person in my community might be feeling the same way?


Judy

Scary.


Judy

But here's where it gets even more complex, y'all.


Judy

The investigation revealed that in the months before the shooting, Adam's behavior had become increasingly erratic.


Judy

He'd tried to maintain some connection to football by helping coach at a local high school, but his behavior made that impossible.


Judy

He'd show up late, forget basic drills he'd performed thousands of times, and sometimes leave mid practice without explanation.


Judy

The head coach, who'd known Adams since his own high school days, finally had to ask him to stop coming around.


Judy

He'd attempted to start several businesses in Rock Hill.


Judy

A gym, a nutrition supplement store, and a sports training facility for kids.


Judy

All failed within months because he couldn't keep track of basic paperwork.


Judy

Or remember client appointments.


Judy

His disability application to the NFL filed in 2016 painted this devastating picture.


Judy

He described being unable to remember his kids birthdays, getting lost in familiar neighborhoods, and experiencing these intense rage episodes over minor frustrations.


Judy

So at the same time, Adams is having a hard time planning his day.


Judy

He could plan a mass murder, but back to the crime.


Judy

After an hours long manhunt, police surrounded Adams at his father's house.


Judy

Before they could take him into custody, he took his own life.


Judy

He was 32 years old.


Judy

The standoff at Adams father's house lasted nearly eight hours.


Judy

Crisis negotiators made multiple attempts to contact him.


Judy

His father, Alonzo Adams, tried desperately to reach him by phone.


Judy

When police finally entered, they found evidence that Adams had been writing in journals documenting his deteriorating mental state.


Judy

The entries became increasingly paranoid and confused over time, with the final entry simply reading I am not here.


Judy

After Adams took his own Life, Adam, Dr.


Judy

Ann McKee, a leading researcher in sports related brain injuries, examined his brain at Boston University's CTE Center.


Judy

And y'all.


Judy

The results were devastating.


Judy

Adams had Stage 2 CTE with severe damage to his frontal lobe.


Judy

That's the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, judgment and emotional regulation.


Judy

Let me break down what CTE actually is because this is crucial to understanding this case.


Judy

Chronic Traumatic encephalopathy is this progressive brain condition caused by repeated head trauma.


Judy

It can currently only be definitively diagnosed after death, which makes it particularly challenging to study and treat.


Judy

What we do know is that it causes the buildup of an abnormal protein called tau, which gradually kills brain cells.


Judy

The damage to Adam's frontal lobe was unusually severe even compared to other NFL players with cte.


Judy

This kind of damage can cause impulsive behavior, aggression, depression, paranoia, memory loss, and emotional instability.


Judy

I can't even tell you how this affected the Rock Hill community.


Judy

Like, imagine living in a town where everyone knows everyone.


Judy

Where your doctor isn't just your doctor, but someone who delivered your kids.


Judy

Where your neighbor's football success was everyone's success.


Judy

And then in one day, all of that changes.


Judy

Former patients started coming forward with these stories about Dr.


Judy

Leslie that just break my heart.


Judy

Like this one mom who told the story of how Dr.


Judy

Leslie had paid for her kids medications when insurance wouldn't cover them.


Judy

Or how he'd make house calls to elderly patients who couldn't drive to his office.


Judy

And Barbara, she spent countless hours tutoring this one woman's dyslexic son.


Judy

And when the mom tried to pay her, Barbara just said to pay it forward.


Judy

When she could.


Judy

And y'all.


Judy

The children ate.


Judy

Dawes elementary School did something that still makes me emotional when I think about it.


Judy

They created this memorial garden, planting her beloved sunflowers.


Judy

Noah's kindergarten class released butterflies in his memory because, get this, he had been obsessed with their class butterfly garden project just weeks before his death.


Judy

But here's where this story gets even more complicated.


Judy

Remember how I told you Rock Hill was known as Football City usa?


Judy

Well, this tragedy fundamentally changed how this community looks at their favorite sport.


Judy

Like, the changes they made after this are honestly incredible.


Judy

South Pointe High School, that's Adam's alma mater, now requires these super strict baseline cognitive tests for all contact sport athletes, not just football players.


Judy

They've installed these impact sensors in helmets that automatically alert trainers when a hit is too hard.


Judy

And they're doing something that honestly blows my mind.


Judy

They're tracking their athletes, cumulative impact exposure across all sports and years of play like no other high school in the country was doing this at the time.


Judy

But, y'all, here's what really gets me.


Judy

The Leslie family's response to this tragedy shows this extraordinary grace that I honestly don't know if I could muster in their situation.


Judy

Instead of calling for vengeance, they emphasized the need for better understanding of mental health and brain injury in sports.


Judy

They established the Leslie foundation, which now supports research into CTE and mental health services for former athletes.


Judy

Remember those two H VAC technicians?


Judy

The company, GSM Services, established scholarship funds for both the Lewis and Shook children.


Judy

James Lewis's baseball team retired his coaching jersey, and they created this annual sportsmanship award in his name.


Judy

And every GSM technician now wears these patches with Robert Shook's initials on their uniforms.


Judy

And y'all, Rock Hill's relationship with football, it completely changed.


Judy

This town that once proudly called itself Football City USA started having these really hard conversations about the sport that had put them on the map.


Judy

Parents at youth football practices started asking more questions about concussion protocols.


Judy

They weren't just accepting Shake it Off as an answer anymore.


Judy

The city invested in this state of the art facility specifically for sports related brain injuries.


Judy

They named it the Robert Leslie center for Sports Medicine.


Judy

And get this.


Judy

It provides free baseline testing for every single youth athlete in York County.


Judy

Like they're tracking these kids throughout their entire playing careers to make sure they're safe.


Judy

The NFL's response to CTE has evolved significantly over the past decade.


Judy

When Adams entered the league in 2010, concussion protocols were relatively new.


Judy

Today, the league has implemented numerous changes.


Judy

Players now undergo mandatory baseline neurological testing before each season.


Judy

Independent Neurological consultants must be present at every game.


Judy

Any player showing signs of concussion must pass a five step return to play protocol.


Judy

The league has also banned certain types of hits and modified kickoff rules to reduce high speed collisions.


Judy

In 2022, partly in response to continuing concerns about player brain health, the NFL introduced even stricter protocols.


Judy

Players showing gross motor instability must now be removed from play, regardless of potential non neurological explanations.


Judy

This was a direct response to several high profile incidents where clearly concussed players were allowed to continue playing.


Judy

But these changes came too late for Philip Adams and his victims.


Judy

His father's words haunt the sport.


Judy

Football messed him up.


Judy

The NFL offers counseling services through its Player Care foundation, but many former players either don't know about these resources or struggle to access them.


Judy

The transition from professional athlete to civilian is challenging enough without the added burden of brain injury.


Judy

But here's the thing that keeps me up at night about this case.


Judy

While we can talk about all the changes that came after the new protocols, the foundations, the memorials, we can't bring back Dr.


Judy

Leslie, Barbara, Ada, Noah, James and Robert.


Judy

We can't undo what happened that April day.


Judy

And we can't ignore that Philip Adams was both perpetrator and victim of a sport he loved, of injuries we're only beginning to understand, and of a system that maybe could have done more to help him.


Judy

I've read a lot of stories about athletes, about violence, about tragedy.


Judy

But this one, this one hits different because it shows us how invisible injuries can be just as devastating as physical ones.


Judy

How someone can seem fine on the outside while fighting this massive battle on the inside.


Judy

And how sometimes the warning signs are only clear in hindsight.


Judy

If you're struggling with mental health issues and honestly, hearing stories like this can bring up a lot of emotions, please know there are people who want to help.


Judy

The National Suicide Prevention lifeline is available 24.


Judy

7 at 1-800-273-TALK.


Judy

I want to end this episode by sharing something Dr.


Judy

Leslie wrote in one of his books, Angels in the er.


Judy

He said, I know without a doubt that life is fragile.


Judy

I have come to understand that humility may be the greatest virtue, and I am convinced we need to take the time to say the things we deeply feel to the people we deeply care about.


Judy

This case will stay with me forever, not just because of the tragedy, but because it reminds us that every story has layers we might not see at first glance.


Judy

That sometimes the most important thing we can do is pay attention to the people around us, to reach out when we notice changes, and to never, ever take for granted the time we have with the people we love.


Judy

This is Judy with Fangirl Crime, reminding you that while we love sports, we can't ignore when they intersect with tragedy.


Judy

And sometimes the most important stories are the ones that make us question everything we think we know about the games we love.


Judy

Stay safe, stay passionate, and don't let anyone dim your love of the game.