“33 Trucking” hats became iconic during Josh Adams 2017 season. (Photo: Phil Houk)
Before he ever thundered down the sidelines of Notre Dame Stadium, Josh Adams was already a legend-in-waiting in Warrington, Pennsylvania. As a sophomore in high school he ripped off 2,085 yards and 25 touchdowns, a preview of the explosion to come. By his senior year, after battling back from a torn ACL, he was named USA Today’s Pennsylvania Offensive Player of the Year and accepted Brian Kelly’s invitation to join the Fighting Irish.
2015: The Instant Impact Freshman
Adams didn’t ease into Notre Dame football — he detonated into it.
In the 2015 opener against Texas, when starter Tarean Folston suffered a season-ending injury, Adams stepped in and scored a touchdown on his first career carry, a 14-yard burst that hinted at a special debut season. He finished that night with two touchdowns while sharing the backfield with CJ Prosise.
His coming-out party arrived a few weeks later at Wake Forest. With Prosise sidelined, Adams got the start and carved his name into the record book with a 98-yard touchdown, the longest run in Notre Dame history and the longest in the entire FBS that season. When the Irish closed the regular season at Stanford, Adams broke another Notre Dame freshman record with 168 rushing yards.
He finished 2015 with 835 yards, six touchdowns, and a remarkable 7.1 yards per carry, setting the Notre Dame freshman rushing record. It was clear: the Irish had found a star.
2016: A Bright Light in a Challenging Year
The 2016 season tested the Irish as a whole, but Adams remained a steady force. He topped 100 yards in four contests and finished as Notre Dame’s leading rusher with 933 yards and five touchdowns. Even in a difficult year, his trademark explosiveness endured — including a pair of touchdown runs of 67 yards or longer.
2017: “33 Trucking” Rolls Into the Heisman Race
In 2017, Josh Adams didn’t just elevate — he ascended.
Behind an elite offensive line and his own rare blend of power, patience, and long-speed, Adams powered Notre Dame’s resurgent 10–3 season and launched a full-blown Heisman campaign branded with an unforgettable slogan: “33 Trucking.”
The hats became iconic. The movement became national. And Adams delivered performances that justified every bit of the hype:
- Six 100-yard games
- Two 200-yard games
- Four straight games with a TD run of 70+ yards, an FBS record
- A staggering 1,430 yards and nine touchdowns
Injuries slowed him late, but not enough to dim what he accomplished: one of the greatest single seasons ever produced by an Irish running back.
A Legacy Written in the Record Book
Adams declared for the NFL after his junior season, but not before cementing himself among the program’s all-time greats. At the time he left he held the following records:
- 3,198 career rushing yards – 5th in Notre Dame history
- 6.39 yards per carry – 3rd all time
- 15 career 100-yard games – 3rd all time
- Notre Dame’s freshman rushing record, freshman single-game rushing record, and longest run in school history (98 yards, tied by Jeremiyah Love in 2024)
There are players who flash. There are players who star. And then there are players like Josh Adams — backs who changed the geometry of a defense the moment they touch the ball.
Life After the Irish
Adams spent four seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints, tallying 680 rushing yards and five touchdowns. In 2023, he transitioned into coaching, joining clark Lea’s Vanderbilt staff, where he’s already helped develop a productive and ball-secure Commodores backfield.
He also returned to complete his Notre Dame degree in psychology in 2020 — a testament to the same drive that made him an elite athlete.
Why Josh Adams Is an All-Time Irish Hero
Because he ran with grace and violence. Because he carried an offense, carried a fanbase, and for a time carried legitimate Heisman hopes on his back. Because “33 Trucking” wasn’t a slogan — it was a phenomenon.
And because every time he broke into the open field, Notre Dame Stadium held its breath, knowing that something extraordinary was about to happen.
For three great years of explosive brilliance, record-setting runs, and a junior season for the ages —
Josh Adams is, this week’s Fighting Irish Preview, All-Time Irish Hero
