‘Fun to be with him.’ What impresses Raiders’ Hunter Renfrow about Davante Adams
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow admits he watched a lot of college football while he was at Clemson.
The NFL? Not so much.
When Derek Carr mentioned star wide receiver Davante Adams to then-rookie Renfrow in 2019, he said he didn’t know who he was.
“I love college football and I watch college all the time,” Renfrow said after Thursday’s organized team activities. “I didn’t watch the NFL and he was telling me a story about this guy named Davante. I was like who is that? Because I didn’t know. It’s funny because that was my first memory of him. Since then, just watching him on film and watching the player that he is, and it’s been cool. Derek told us about him and he surpassed expectations, for sure.”
Renfrow now knows a lot about the five-time Pro Bowler, thanks to Carr continually referencing Adams and from watching film.
The Raiders acquired Adams in a trade with the Green Bay Packers on March 18 for first- and second-round picks in the 2022 NFL draft, reuniting him with Carr, who both starred at Fresno State.
Ever since, it’s been fun for Renfrow to learn from Adams, even on the golf course.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him,” Renfrow said. “He’s been good for so long. Just to see him every day, the way he works, whether he feels good or not, it’s kind of uncommon for a superstar, to be honest with you. It doesn’t matter how he feels or if he’s having a good or bad day, he goes out there and puts the same work in and he’s very consistent. That’s what I’ve taken from it.
“His consistency and (he) is so explosive at the top of routes. The way he sees the game the way he sees; how the defense is trying to attack him. Just trying to learn as much as I can from him.”
Renfrow is coming off a breakout season, finishing last year with a career-high 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns.
He’s spent time with Adams on the practice field in Henderson, Nevada, and is amazed what he can do, even looking at the numbers he put up with the Packers (8,121 receiving yards, 73 touchdowns in eight seasons).
“He’s so creative,” Renfrow said. “ I alluded to it early, he’s so explosive. When he puts his foot in the ground, it’s tough to deal with him. He has a great imagination. He knows what the defense is trying to take away and he’ll counter that with certain things. It doesn’t matter if he’s doubled or tripled team, he’ll get open a lot of times. It’s been fun to be with him.”
