Ole Miss in Mourning After Killing of Freshman Football Player Corey Adams

The shooting death of Ole Miss freshman Corey Adams has rocked the tight-knit college football community, as the 18-year-old “didn’t get to see his dream” fully realized, devastated mourners told Newsweek.

Adams, a defensive lineman from New Orleans, died Saturday in Cordova, Tennessee, where deputies found him inside a vehicle with a gunshot wound. He was later pronounced dead at the scene, where multiple shell casings were recovered, according to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

Four other men, who were not immediately identified, also suffered gunshot wounds and drove to local hospitals following the shooting at about 10:14 p.m. Saturday outside Memphis. Those victims were expected to survive.

No arrests had been made as of midday Monday in the ongoing homicide investigation, authorities said.

Adams’ sudden death is especially painful for those who knew the 6-foot-4, 235-pound standout who had been recruited by college football powerhouses like LSU, Texas A&M and Oregon.

“All he wanted was to be successful and make a difference for his family,” Anthony Parker, whose son previously played with Adams, told Newsweek. “Football was his way to do that, and he got so close. But still didn’t get to see his dream through; he was so excited to play for Ole Miss.”

Parker said he developed a bond with Adams as he played the past two seasons with his son at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans.

“He and I over that time spoke nearly every day and after every football game,” Parker said. “My son is two years younger than him and played the same position, so Corey took it upon himself to take him under his wing and help him get better.”

Despite the busy schedule of a student-athlete, Adams always took time to speak to Parker after every practice to “tell me how things were going for him and how my son was doing,” he said.

“He cared for his teammates, he loved them,” Parker said. “And man, my heart hurts for those boys right now. Of course, I hurt but those kids have to deal with a piece of them missing at such a young age and that’s not fair to them.”

Parker said Adams, who was expected to major in freshman studies at Ole Miss, had been practicing as hard as possible this spring after enrolling last winter.

“I was able to talk with him a couple times just checking on him, and I used to play with him about going to Ole Miss over LSU and we joked about that,” Parker said. “But I told him I would buy a jersey with his name and number for me and my son, so he could get that NIL [name, image, likeness] money. But now he won’t even be able to wear his own jersey. That hurts to realize that he wasn’t even able to fully experience a dream that he actually achieved.”

Jamar McKneely, CEO of InspireNOLA, a network of seven public charter schools in New Orleans, including Edna Karr High School, said many staff members, especially athletic coaches, were having difficulty processing Adams’ sudden passing.

“I am personally, as well as our Karr community, disheartened and disappointed that an individual who had such a promising future ahead of him lost his life in such a senseless tragedy,” McKneely told Newsweek. “To know Corey is to know that he was a remarkable young man who was a student leader with a bright, loving personality.”

McKneely said Adams, a two-time state champion at Edna Karr, returned to the high school just two weeks ago for a ring ceremony.

“He was sitting right behind me,” McKneely said. “And he had one of the biggest smiles on his face because he was receiving his championship ring and he was with his teammates and his coaches. He was leaving the next day to go back to Oxford and I never would’ve thought two weeks later that we would find ourselves talking about his life this way.”

Grief counselors were visiting Edna Karr High School on Monday to meet with staff, coaches and some student-athletes as they process Adams’ death.

“I’m on my way driving to the campus now to console the coaches before we even meet with the students,” McKneely said.

The school’s football team, which is currently holding summer workout sessions, plans to meet at the campus but will not practice, McKneely said.

“He was definitely a role model in the classroom and on the field,” McKneely said of Adams. “He encouraged students to be the best scholar athletes they could and had one of the best motivational drives on the football field that I’ve seen in a very long time.”

Adams’ mother, Chantrel Bernhart, declined to comment when reached by Newsweek early Monday.

Kyle Campbell, associate athletics director at Ole Miss, said team officials and Adams’ teammates were also unavailable on Monday.

“We are devastated to learn that Corey Adams, a freshman on the team, passed away last night in Cordova,” the Ole Miss football team said in a statement Sunday.

“While our program is trying to cope with this tragic loss, our thoughts are with his loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. “Out of respect for his family, we will not be commenting further at this time. We ask the Ole Miss community to keep Corey in their thoughts and respect the privacy of everyone involved.”

Adams’ former teammates, meanwhile, said they were “heartbroken and tormented” by his death.

“This is a post we never want to have to make and words can’t describe this type of pain,” the team said in a Facebook post. “Corey Adams was more than a football player! He was a friend, brother, son, student, and all around great young man. We never question God but this is one we just don’t understand.”