Jeanty practices for the first time as Raiders hope he's the answer to their rushing problems By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer The Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Ashton Jeanty won't be able to do what he does best for quite some time — make tacklers wish they never even thought of putting a hand on him.
So not much can be read into Jeanty breaking free into the open field at the Raiders' rookies camp Friday, but Las Vegas hopes it's at least a preview of what's to come.
The Raiders placed a lot of faith in Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up out of Boise State, by drafting him sixth last month. He was the highest-drafted running back since the New York Giants took Saquon Barkley second in 2018.
Jeanty also received a four-year, $35.9 million contract that includes a $22.7 million signing bonus, his agent, Henry Organ, said. His $8.97 million annual salary is the 11th-highest among running backs, according to Over the Cap.
He called it a “lifelong dream” to even be in an NFL rookies practice.
"So to finally be out here, get to work with the team, it’s just exciting,” Jeanty said.
Jeanty fits the profile of a Pete Carroll-coached team. Carroll relied on a similar type of back in Seattle, and Marshawn Lynch was instrumental in the Seahawks making back-to-back Super Bowls and winning one. His rugged running style and 5-foot-11 inch, 215-pound frame made tackling him an often painful experience for defenders.
At 5-8, 211, Jeanty used a similar bruising style in leading the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns. More telling, he rushed for 1,970 yards after contact, which by itself would have led the FBS.
That's why the Raiders decided to use such a high pick on a running back, even though it goes against the general current thinking. They could have addressed a different position at No. 6 and still taken a quality running back later in what was a deep draft at the position, but found a potential generational type of player too difficult to pass up.
Especially for a team that had the worst ground game in the NFL last season, averaging 79.8 yards per game.
“It’s one of those deals where it meets the need and the best player meet together,” general manager John Spytek said the night the Raiders drafted Jeanty. "You kind of feel like that’s a perfect storm at that point too, and it’s just too much to ignore at that point. He’s the perfect player for us this year, and we were thrilled to make him a Raider.”
And now Jeanty is getting his first taste of the NFL with other players who also are beginning to learn what it takes at this level.
One of his new teammates, offensive lineman Caleb Rogers, played against Jeanty in Texas high school scrimmages and runs in much the same social circle.
“I had players who played with him,” said Rogers, a third-round draft pick out of Texas Tech. "So just hearing a lot about him, I’m excited to continue to be around him, see how he works, see how he’s a pro. I’ve heard a lot about how he approaches the game and how he does a great job, and so I’m excited just be a part of that.”
Rogers, though, said he doesn't remember those early interactions with Jeanty.
“I don’t because he happened to have (Denver wide receiver) Marvin Mims on his team," Rogers said. "He has the record for high school football receiving yards, so he was kind of doing his thing back then.”
Jeanty hopes to give Rogers and the rest of his new teammates performances they won't be able to forget.
They are excited to have him. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby live-streamed his podcast on the first night of the draft with center Jackson Powers-Johnson. Both were ecstatic when the Raiders selected Jeanty, with Crosby pumping his right fist and Powers-Johnson raising both arms and yelling.
There also is video of Powers-Johnson meeting Jeanty, embracing him and saying, “I'm your center.”
Expectations certainly are high inside and outside the Raiders facility. Now it's a matter of whether Jeanty meets them.
He has a long way to go, but Friday was a start.
“Getting out just seeing everything, how it all works,” Jeanty said.
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Bucs rookie Desmond Watson, at 464 pounds, tops list of the NFL's heaviest players By MARK LONG AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Even though Desmond Watson is trying to make Tampa Bay’s roster, he’s already made history — as the NFL’s heaviest player.
The 6-foot-6, 464-pound defensive tackle from Florida signed with his hometown Buccaneers after going undrafted and will begin his NFL journey during Tampa Bay’s three-day rookie minicamp that opens Friday. He’s sure to get plenty of attention — maybe even as much as the team’s first-round draft pick, former Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka.
The Bucs would no doubt like to see Watson a little lighter on his feet. The Gators struggled for four years to make tangible progress with a guy Florida coach Billy Napier called “a unicorn” and “just a big man.”
While no current NFL player tops 400 pounds — Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele is the heaviest at 380 — there have been a few who have played at or near four bills. Here’s a look at some of the beefiest guys in league history:
Aaron Gibson, 410 pounds
A first-round draft pick by Detroit in 1999, Gibson started 15 games for the Lions before getting waived in the middle of his third season. Shoulder issues landed the offensive tackle on injured reserve in each of his first two years. He also played with Dallas and Chicago before getting one final shot in the NFL with Buffalo in 2006; the Bills cut him near the end of training camp. He bounced around the Arena Football League from there. He battled depression after his playing days ended and weighed as much as 480 pounds.
Terrell Brown, 403 pounds
The 6-foot-10 Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie from Mississippi in 2013. He showed up 15 pounds heavier than then-Rams coach Jeff Fisher expected. He shed some weight during training camp — the Rams had him playing right tackle after working him on both sides of the ball — but he didn’t make the team.
Nate Newton, 401 pounds
Cut by Washington before spending two years (1984-85) in the USFL, Newton’s career changed dramatically when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Nicknamed “The Kitchen” because of his size, Newton lost a footrace with then-Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson that pushed him to get into better shape. He ended up becoming one of the league’s most dominant guards in the 1990s. He made six Pro Bowls while blocking for Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. Newton was back over 400 pounds in retirement, but he eventually lost nearly half his body weight thanks to stomach surgery in 2010.
Michael Jasper, 394 pounds
Despite weighing as much as 450 pounds as a two-way player at Bethel University of the NAIA, Buffalo drafted Jasper in the seventh round in 2011. He dropped to 375 pounds during training camp but was released in final cuts. He landed on Buffalo’s practice squad but never played in a regular-season game. He’s now the head coach at Stetson.
Bryant McKinnie, 386 pounds
McKinnie played in 179 games, with 162 starts, over a 12-year NFL career. A college standout at Miami and the seventh overall pick by Minnesota in 2002, McKinnie’s 6-foot-8 frame handled the weight well. He made the Pro Bowl in 2009 and won the Super Bowl with Baltimore following the 2012 season.
William Perry, 382 pounds
A first-round draft pick by Chicago in 1985, Perry quickly earned the nickname “The Refrigerator” and became a fan favorite as a rookie. The run-stuffing nose tackle also carried five times for 7 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and had a TD catch. His bone-jarring TD run — and subsequent spike — against New England in the 1986 Super Bowl remains an iconic moment in NFL lore. He finished his pro career with 524 tackles, including 29 1/2 sacks, over 138 games. The Fridge may have gained popularity in retirement: He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and participated as a celebrity contestant in the 2003 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
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Quinn Ewers is past surprising slip in the draft, now the Dolphins QB is aiming to 'go get noticed' By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Quinn Ewers didn't expect to slip to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft. But when the Dolphins rookie quarterback put on a Miami jersey for the first time Friday, none of that mattered anymore.
Now, the work begins to prove he's ready for the NFL.
Ewers, drafted 231st last month by Miami, is third on the Dolphins' depth chart behind starter Tua Tagovailoa and free agent signing Zach Wilson . He was the last quarterback selected in the draft; 13 others were picked before him. Whether it was because of concerns about his consistency or injury history he doesn't quite know, but he admitted being overlooked is a position he hasn't been in too often.
“I didn’t expect to fall as low as I did,” Ewers said Friday as the Dolphins opened rookie minicamp. “It is what it is at the end of the day, and I have the same opportunity that everybody else does, and I’m beyond thankful for that. I just want to go in there and play my game and learn and develop as a quarterback.”
Ewers was the top-rated high school quarterback in the country when he signed with Ohio State and left school early to the join the Buckeyes in 2021. After spending a season deep on Ohio State's depth chart, Ewers transferred to Texas, where was the starter by the 2022 season opener.
The Dolphins were impressed by his experience and how he responded to pressure in college. In three years as the Longhorns' starter, Ewers led Texas to a Big 12 championship and twice to the College Football Playoff. He passed for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns in a career rivaled by few other quarterbacks that have gone through the program.
But he was hindered by various injuries, including an abdomen strain that sidelined him for a couple games this past season. That allowed the Longhorns to get two starts from Arch Manning — the highly touted son of Cooper Manning who Texas fans were eager to see in action despite Ewers' success.
“We talked to coach (Steve) Sarkisian about him and ‘Sark’ really likes and was high (on him)," general manager Chris Grier said during the draft. "(He) talked about his toughness, his mental toughness, the pushing through with the injury, the expectations, all the pressure with (Arch) Manning there coming in. He loved his competitiveness and how he plays, and how his teammates respond to him.”
Ewers said his immediate NFL goal is to learn Mike McDaniel's complex playbook and find ways to stand out. The leadership the Dolphins saw in him in college, he said, will go a long way.
“Right now it’s my responsibility to lead all these rookies," Ewers said. "It’s my opportunity to go get noticed at the end of the day. And I’m going to try to go do that.”
Backup quarterback is an important position in Miami. Tagovailoa has missed at least one game in all but one of his five NFL seasons. The Dolphins used three different quarterbacks last season after injuries limited Tagovailoa to just 11 starts — his fewest since starting nine games his rookie season.
Grier wasted little time in free agency addressing Miami's need for a backup, signing Wilson to a one-year deal in March. Wilson, the New York Jets’ No. 2 overall pick in 2021, hopes to earn a starting role at some point.
Ewers will be aiming for the same.
“There’s a lot of guys out there right now, and everyone’s fighting for the same job,” Ewers said. “And we’re all competitive, but it’s cool at the same time just because at the end of the day some of these guys are going to end up being teammates with us. But you’ve got to earn the job and earn the trust of those guys as well.”
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1st Egyptian drafted into the NFL, Ahmed Hassanein, takes part in Detroit Lions minicamp By BOB TRIPI Associated Press The Associated Press ALLEN PARK, Mich.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Ahmed Hassanein remembers the days of learning how to play football in his half-brother’s small kitchen in California.
The 6-foot-2, 267-pound former Boise State defensive end, who was the first Egyptian drafted into the NFL last month by Detroit, created a new memory Friday by taking snaps at the Lions rookie minicamp.
“I’m just so grateful, so honored to be here,” Hassanein said. “It’s kind of like doesn’t feel real. It’s like I don’t want to leave the field. I love it. The coaching, my teammates, just the competitiveness, it’s been great. And I’m just looking forward to tomorrow and just take it day by day.”
Hassanein, who was selected in the sixth round with the 196th pick, said one of the biggest moments he's had since arriving at minicamp was meeting coach Dan Campbell. When he was drafted, an exuberant Hassanein proclaimed, “ I would die for that guy. I would run through a wall for him like I ran through a wall for Coach D (Boise State coach Spencer Danielson).”
As he came out to the practice field, the two finally met and shook hands.
“It kind of feels unreal,” he said. “He’s an awesome guy. I’m just looking forward to learn from him off the field and on the field.”
It is hoped that Hassanein will help fill the edge rusher hole that the Lions have opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
“I’ll say about Ahmed is he’s relentless,” Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew said Friday. “He plays the game the way we like to play. He plays it hard. He’s a second-effort rusher. He can win with hands as a rusher. ... And I think when (defensive line ) coach (Kacy) Rodgers get his hands on him to coach him up, the kid’s going to be a good player for us. So we’re excited about him.”
To live up to the Lions' hopes, Hassanein knows he has a lot of work ahead of him and is ready for the challenge.
“I look for hardships,” he said. “I want to get better at stuff. I want to because I don’t want to take the easy way out. I want to earn everything. I don’t want nothing to be given to me."
Hassanein, who moved to California in 2018 from Cairo, Egypt, said he has been surprised by the outpouring of attention that he's been receiving from Egyptians.
“Man, it’s being the first Egyptian you’re talking about culture and teams,” he said. “People look out to me. I get texts all the time that people just want to be like me, inspired to be like me. I’m just so grateful and so honored that Jesus pulled me in this position. I mean, I’m gonna give it all I got.”
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Steelers GM Omar Khan says trading talented but mercurial WR George Pickens was right for both sides By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer The Associated Press PITTSBURGH
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan wasn't planning to trade wide receiver George Pickens .
Then the Dallas Cowboys called with an offer Khan couldn't pass up, and after three years of trying to balance Pickens' dazzling behavior on the field with his petulance off it, Khan decided it was time to move on.
Pittsburgh sent Pickens to Dallas on Wednesday in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a fifth-rounder in 2027. The Cowboys get a sixth-round choice in two years.
“We just kind of talked about it, you know, (and had) lots of serious conversation, honest conversations,” Khan said Friday. “And we just felt that a fresh start for both sides was the right thing.”
Pickens was about to enter the final year of the rookie deal he signed after being selected in the second round in 2022. While he caught 174 passes for 2,841 and 12 touchdowns across three seasons, he also consistently found himself making headlines for something other than catching a football, be it fighting opponents , getting fined for writing an expletive on his eye black , or inattentiveness to downfield blocking .
Khan declined to describe Pickens' tenure as a “disappointment,” pointing out there were plenty of exciting moments when Pickens flashed his freakish ability.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin almost uniformly backed Pickens despite the missteps, save for one occasion last season when Tomlin said it was time for Pickens “to grow up” after he drew two penalties for taunting during a victory over Cincinnati last December.
Khan declined to speculate whether Pickens would have held out (or even held in) during organized team activities and minicamp, a tactic star outside linebacker T.J. Watt and former wide receiver Diontae Johnson have done in the past.
While the club had planned to go into the season with Pickens and recently acquired DK Metcalf paired together, Khan remains confident in the group behind Metcalf, which includes Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Scott Miller and veteran Robert Woods, who signed last week.
The team could also explore bringing in another veteran before training camp starts, one of many variables at play for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers remain in a holding pattern in regards to four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is continuing to weigh whether to return for a 21st season. The club has not set a firm deadline and all options remain on the table not just at quarterback, but elsewhere.
“We want to get good players, good people, and you know we’re chasing a championship,” Khan said. “And every decision we make is based on trying to win a championship not only in the future but this year. I mean, we’re focused on trying to win a championship this year.”
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Giants' 1st-round pick Abdul Carter chooses No. 51 after headline-making search By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Abdul Carter tackled his first big task in the NFL — choosing a jersey number.
After a search that made some headlines, the New York Giants' first-round pick is wearing No. 51 with the team, which took the field for the start of its rookie minicamp Friday.
“I feel good,” Carter said. “I feel like it’s going to have to grow on me a little bit, but it’s feeling good right now.”
That came after Carter's request to wear the retired No. 56 of Lawrence Taylor was nixed by the Pro Football Hall of Famer , who was honored but urged the third overall pick of the draft to create a legacy with his own number.
“He has to be the player that he is,” Taylor told ESPN two weeks ago. “He can’t be another Lawrence Taylor. Well, he may be better than a Lawrence Taylor, who knows? But he has to make his mark. It’s up to him.”
Carter wore No. 11 at Penn State — but that number is also retired by the Giants in honor of quarterback Phil Simms. The two-time Super Bowl winner said during a recent interview with FanDuel that he was open to having Carter wear his No. 11, but Simms' family decided against it.
So that had Carter still searching for a number, which was finally revealed along with those of the rest of the Giants rookies shortly before minicamp practice kicked off.
“Pretty much what we had available,” he said. “It was a good number.”
And, perhaps not so coincidentally, the No. 51 combines the two numbers — 56 and 11 — Carter was considering the past few weeks.
“It’s pretty much set,” Carter said, indicating he won't be changing it anytime soon. “I’m just happy to be out here playing football. That’s all I’m worried about.”
It's also all the Giants are concerned about.
In Carter, they see a player who should be able to make an immediate impact on the field and complement a pass rush that already has Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns.
“Yeah, I feel like it really hit me today,” Carter said. “Being out here playing football, working with the guys, just being on the field, like, I’m here. I made it to NFL, but I’ve also got to keep putting the work in and working. But I’m loving it.”
Carter was originally a traditional linebacker during his first two seasons at Penn State before moving to defensive end last year. The move paid off as the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter’s athleticism and elite first step off the ball immediately made him one of college football’s most dominant pass rushers.
He led the country with 23 1/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks last season.
“My impressions of him is great,” said defensive tackle Darius Alexander, the Giants' third-round pick out of Toledo. “I like the way he moves. I like the way he plays. I like the way he approached the game, so me and him been talking a little bit. We’re going to definitely get out there.”
Carter looked comfortable throughout his first NFL practice, going through drills on defense and special teams. He then playfully danced to music playing in the background while talking to fourth-round running back Cam Skattebo on the side during breaks in the action.
“I like having fun out here,” Carter said. “When I’m out here with the pads on, with my helmet on, I feel like that’s where I’m at my best. I don’t know, I just fit in the most on the field, just being out here having fun.”
Carter also got a kick out of Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan watching practice and then breaking down the huddle at the end. And something the former Giants defensive end said stuck with the young pass rusher.
“I would just say just speaking about the Giants history, knowing how much we’ve (won), knowing the history, the championships we’ve (gotten),” he said. “And I just want to be a part of bringing that legacy back. Just bringing that greatness back to New York.”
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Dolphins sign 7 draft picks and add veteran long snapper Joe Cardona The Associated Press MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins signed seven of their 2025 draft picks on Friday and added veteran long snapper Joe Cardona.
Cardona is entering his 11th NFL season and is joining the Dolphins after 10 seasons with Miami's division rival the New England Patriots. He appeared in 160 career games with New England and recorded 13 special teams tackles and one forced fumble. Cardona has also appeared in 13 postseason games and won Super Bowls LI and LIII with the Patriots.
Cardona will replace Blake Ferguson , who Miami released Thursday after five seasons.
Miami's signed picks are defensive tackles Kenneth Grant, Zeek Biggers and Jordan Phillips, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., safety Dante Trader Jr., running back Ollie Gordon II and quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Grant, selected 13th overall, signed a four-year deal worth just under $22 million, per ESPN.
The Dolphins also signed 16 undrafted free agents ahead of the start of rookie minicamp on Friday.
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Giants first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart wearing sister's sparkling necklace for luck By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jaxson Dart absolutely sparkled in his debut for the New York Giants.
And he can thank his sister's jewelry collection for that.
The first-round quarterback showed up for his news conference after his first practice of rookie minicamp Friday wearing a dazzling necklace that featured shiny, diamondlike-filled hearts. And the bling caught everyone's attention, especially when the lights from the team's indoor facility shined off it.
“So, my little sister had it, it was hers,” a smiling Dart said. "It was before our bowl game and as I was leaving the house over Christmas — a little break before the bowl game — and just saw it in her room. And I was like, you know what, I kind of like it.
“So, I put it on and it’s kind of been good luck for me ever since.”
At the Gator Bowl in January, Dart was selected the MVP after leading Mississippi to a 52-20 thrashing of Duke while wearing the necklace. He threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns, further cementing himself as one of the draft's top available quarterbacks.
The Giants were so enthralled with Dart's talent that they traded back into the first round last month to take him with the 25th overall pick. The 21-year-old quarterback appeared to be wearing the necklace that day — and again when he was formally introduced by the team.
“She likes it, she likes it,” a grinning Dart said when asked what his sister thinks of him wearing her jewelry. “Now my little brother ordered one, too, so.”
It wasn't immediately known if the necklace actually contains diamonds or what material it was made of, but this one is staying around Dart's neck for now. Oh, and his sister eventually got a replacement for her jewelry box.
“Yeah, we got her another one, too,” the quarterback said.
Dart joins the Giants seemingly with no pressure to play this season since New York signed veterans Russell Wilson — who's slated to be the starter — and Jameis Winston as free agents.
But being on the sideline will be a new experience for Dart, who has been a starter for as long as he can remember.
“I haven’t really sat before,” he acknowledged.
That dates to his high school days in Utah, followed by a one-year stint at USC where he started three games as a freshman and then three years at Ole Miss.
“I’m a competitor, so I’m going to come to work each and every day and do my best to make everybody around me better," he said. "I understand what the situation is, but for me and myself, I care about winning. There’s nothing fun about losing, so it doesn’t matter where you’re at on the depth chart, if you’re playing this much or not playing this much, if you’re losing, it (stinks).
“So, for me, I want to make the team better, and that’s my focus.”
Dart is wearing No. 6 on his first jersey with the Giants — he was No. 2 at Ole Miss — but he acknowledged calling an audible might still be in play.
“Yeah, I think we’ll come to a final decision here soon," Dart said. "Quite honestly, I kind of have to just look at the pictures to see if I like myself in (No.) 6.”
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Benjamin Morrison says he felt people gave up on him before the Buccaneers selected him at No. 53 By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press TAMPA, Fla.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Benjamin Morrison burst into tears when he got the long-awaited call from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second round of the NFL draft last month.
“Thank you for believing in me,” Morrison told coach Todd Bowles in one of the most emotional videos of the three days.
A star cornerback at Notre Dame whose season ended in October following a hip injury, Morrison was still considered a first-round pick by many analysts, with some rating him as the No. 1 player at his position. But he had to wait until the 53rd pick to hear his name called.
Morrison explained his raw emotion Friday when the Buccaneers kicked off rookie camp.
“It was just the year that I had last year, going into the year, understanding I was one of the top corners, and then you get injured, and then you feel like you’re forgotten about, and there’s so many things behind closed doors that many people don’t know that I had to go through last year with just uncertainty of my hip, the combine process, all that stuff,” Morrison said. “So it honestly felt like a lot of people gave up on me. And, I’m still a kid in the day. I’m growing up. I still have to have those growing pains. So it was tough. But at the end of the day, I mean God doesn’t make mistakes. I landed at the right spot. It kind of validated this when I walked through the doors. This is the place I’m supposed to be at. My mom was like: ‘You’re on a mission. God sent you here for a reason and go attack it.'"
Morrison participated in positional drills on the field but sat out the team periods as he continues to recover from surgery.
Morrison’s dad, Darryl Morrison, played four seasons in the NFL as a defensive back after Washington selected him in the sixth round in 1993. He played with Bowles his rookie season so he gave his son input on his new coach.
“He was like, honestly, straight to the point, he’s matter of fact. And he’s just like what you got on the phone is what you’re going to get. He’s a good dude, great man, cares about his players and things like that,” Benjamin Morrison said about his dad’s thoughts on Bowles.
The four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers are counting on Morrison to bolster a secondary that finished fourth-worst in passing yards allowed in each of the past two seasons.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Morrison had six interceptions as a freshman in 2022 and three picks along with a team-high 10 pass breakups in 2023, when he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the top defensive back in college football.
His experience playing for a high-profile college program should help him make a smooth transition to the next level.
“It’s a national stage every single week,” Morrison said about Notre Dame. “I opened up my first-ever game at 18 years old playing Ohio State. So for me, it’s just prepared me to go against the best. Look at the guys I’ve gone against in college, different body types who are excelling in the NFL at a high level. So for me, it gave me that wide variety of different receivers and then also just the man that Notre Dame kind of molded me to be. I went there a boy and came out a man, just through my coaching staff, the people around me, even my players. Having guys like Cam Hart, even Kyle Hamilton coming back to school, just seeing the way they operate, it’s inspiring for a young kid like me and I was like I wanna be like that one day.”
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Jets rookie Mason Taylor loves the high expectations that come from being Hall of Famer's son By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Mason Taylor watched his father finish up a Hall of Fame career with wide eyes and football dreams of his own.
Now, the son of Jason Taylor is a member of the New York Jets — a second-round draft pick from LSU with famous bloodlines and an opportunity to make an immediate impact in the NFL.
With a chance to step out of one big shadow.
“There’s high expectations, for sure, just because of the last name,” Mason Taylor acknowledged after the Jets' first practice of rookie minicamp Friday. “But I mean, when people say, like, ‘Oh, let him have his shine,’ you know, ‘Stop saying his dad’s name,’ I mean, I love it. We’re family."
His father was one of the NFL's greatest pass rushers with 139 1/2 career sacks during a 15-year career. That included 13 seasons with Miami over three stints, one season with Washington and the 2010 season for the Jets — the last time New York made the playoffs.
Several photos of Mason Taylor — then 6 years old — have floated around social media the past few weeks of him at Jets practices and games with a green Mohawk and a green and white No. 99 jersey. There's another of him celebrating his 7th birthday while wearing a No. 6 Mark Sanchez jersey.
“Yeah, I mean, seeing the pictures and being here now," said Taylor, now wearing No. 46 with the Jets, “is definitely a surreal moment.”
His uncle is Zach Thomas, the brother of Mason's mother and also a Pro Football Hall of Famer. He was also a long-time teammate of Jason with the Dolphins.
“I mean, I’m wanting to be like them,” Mason said. "So, you can call it ‘in their shadows,’ but I love modeling my game after theirs, their hard work. I know they were on the defense, but just their hard work and how they weren’t highly recruited coming into the NFL ... their consistency every single day.
“I look up to those guys, for sure.”
Jason Taylor got emotional shortly after his son was drafted, wiping away tears during a video call with reporters when thinking about what it'll be like for him to see Mason playing in the NFL.
Before the young tight end reported for rookie camp with the Jets, he received some advice from his famous father.
“He actually shot me a text yesterday, last night before our first day today: ‘Just be where your feet are, take it one step at a time,’” recalled Mason Taylor, who turned 21 on Thursday. “And that’s something I’ve done my whole entire life — just one day at a time, one install at a time, one practice at a time, one workout at a time.
"So really just being where your feet are, stacking days and that'll show your consistency and then that will get the trust from the coaches and players as well.”
Taylor had 129 catches for 1,308 yards and six TDs in three seasons at LSU, establishing himself as the most productive tight end in school history and one of the top players at his position in the country. He'll be counted on to add another passing option for Justin Fields in the Jets’ new-look offense this season.
New York's tight ends group also includes Jeremy Ruckert, Zack Kuntz, Neal Johnson and Stone Smartt, but Taylor could see significant snaps as a rookie.
“Taking advantage of my opportunity here and the coaches bringing me and trusting me to be a part of their program just speaks to the level of confidence they have in me,” Taylor said. “And just giving them all I got on the field for minicamp and showing that in the meetings and weight room and all that is definitely something I’m looking forward to do.”
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