A day after it was determined that UCLA’s Ishmael Adams would not face a felony charge stemming from his August arrest, Bruins head coach Jim Mora reinstated the junior cornerback to the team.
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Adams, previously a starting cornerback for the Bruins, was accused of using force to take a cell phone from an Uber driver during the incident, The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month.
A redshirt junior, Adams started all 26 games for the Bruins over the past two seasons and also was the team’s primary returner on kickoffs and punts.
As part of his Tuesday press conference, Mora announced cornerback Fabian Moreau would miss the remainder of the 2015 season due to a Lisfranc injury, per Kaufman.
Adams still could face misdemeanor charges, but Mora said he felt comfortable bringing him back now that felony charges weren’t a possibility. He has been unable to practice since then.
“‘We feel as a program that he has missed a quarter of his season, and he has shown remorse with the actions that he has taken”, Mora said. “He’s accepted responsibility. He’s accepted the consequences”. He’s apologized profusely to his team, his teammates, the staff. He’s come back with a great attitude. “If things change, we’ll adjust”. “So we’re going to move forward”.
“It’s a huge blow”, Mora said.
Even if he doesn’t help on special teams, Adams’ return is a major boost for a UCLA outfit that’s beginning to look like a playoff contender. “I don’t know if he can play a whole game, but he won’t have to”. “Ishmael has always been one of those guys who has kept himself in shape, but football shape is different than running around the track”.
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Adams will be in court on Tuesday morning and remains suspended from the Bruins, who play at the Arizona Wildcats this Saturday in a big Pac-12 South Division game. The senior has the option to apply to the NCAA for a sixth-year medical redshirt.
