Justin Jefferson Shocking Vikings Exit: Is He Leaving to Avoid Facing Public Backlash?….
NFL fans could be watching a legend in the making.
In four years with the Minnesota Vikings, Justin Jefferson has established himself as arguably the NFL’s best wide receiver.
If he keeps going the way he’s going, he could become the greatest of all-time. And he has the swagger to go with it.
His touchdown celebration went viral and he’s caught the eye with some flamboyant outfits, jewellery and sunglasses.
Last month, Jefferson walked down the runway at Paris fashion week and now he features on a Netflix series called Receiver, which follows on from last year’s Quarterback series.
Two of the people that see the man behind the bling most often told BBC Sport about what sets him apart.
‘He was raised right’
Last month, Jefferson became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, signing a four-year contract extension worth $140m (£108m).
Yet even before that, he boasted an impressive jewellery collection, including custom-made chains and mouth grills.
The 25-year-old says he’s an “ice-style guy” – he loves jewellery covered in diamonds – and his favourite item is a chain with a jet piece that represents his alter-ego, which he calls ‘Jets’.
“When I start putting these chains on and the teeth in, I start to become ‘Jets’,” he says on Receiver.
That helps him transform into the show-stopping entertainer, whose ‘Griddy’ touchdown dance was imitated across the NFL and added to Fortnite.
But the Vikings’ wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell says the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year remains grounded.
“His parents are so humble,” he told BBC Sport. “They always say to him ‘humble over hype’.
“I think that’s the foundation of who he is. He was raised right.”
Image source,Getty Images
‘He loves the grind’
Before Jets, there was the shy kid Justin. Raised in Louisiana, his parents both played basketball and his two older brothers Jordan (33) and Rickey (29) played football at Louisiana State University (LSU).
He grew up in his brothers’ shadow and was a late bloomer, physically and athletically. Coming out of high school, he was not a highly-rated recruit. He was barely on the radar.
But because of the family link, Jefferson was given a chance at LSU in 2017 and he set about proving college scouts wrong.
After earning his place on the team, he helped LSU win the national championship in 2020. Three months later he was chosen 22nd overall in the NFL draft.
“It started at home with his parents,” said McCardell, who joined the Vikings in 2021. “They made him and his brothers work for everything.
“Justin’s the youngest so he knew he had to work harder. He took what he learned at home and put that to his career. He just out-works everybody, he takes it to another level.
“I caught him rather young still, and I knew I had a really good player because he loves to work. In the new age, a lot of guys don’t like to do that, but he loves to practice, he loves the grind, so I knew he had a chance to be very successful.”
A quest for perfection
Receiver follows five players during the 2023 season, in which Jefferson missed two months with a hamstring injury.
He was unable to complete his first game back as he suffered a tackle to the ribs that left him spitting blood.
While he was on the sidelines, the series shows Jefferson offering advice and encouragement to rookie receiver Jordan Addison. Moments later Addison scores a touchdown.
The 22-year-old told BBC Sport that Jefferson tells him to “be yourself, be creative”.
“He’s an amazing person,” Addison added. “He’s a really humble superstar, who just loves to see everybody [on the team] succeed.”
McCardell said: “Justin’s a superstar that works extremely hard. When Jordan and everybody else sees that, they know they’ve got to work that hard to catch up.”
That work ethic extends to a quest for perfection, which Jefferson shows in Receiver when agonising over a crucial fumble. He’s continued to show it in the off-season.
“He sent me a video earlier this year, before we came back for mini-camp,” said McCardell. “I said ‘I see you working on your body posture and your break, you’re getting your shoulders down now’. And he said ‘yeah, you told me to’.
“It’s simple stuff like that. I tell him, and he goes and works on his whole game. He wants to be as perfect as a receiver can be. It’s a great honour for me that he believes in what I teach and he’s out there working on it.”
