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Carmen Vitali
NFC North Reporter
“Mr. Irrelevant” was anything but last week in Southern California.
New York Jets safety Jaylen Key became the 49th “Mr. Irrelevant” to take part in the celebratory week of being the NFL’s punchline.
Key was selected by the Jets with the last pick (No. 257) in this year’s draft to add to a young secondary group in New York. The 24-year-old former Alabama defensive back now sits third on the depth chart at strong safety.
But Key has been here before.
He transferred from UAB to Bama for his last year of college, wanting to compete with the best under Nick Saban for the Crimson Tide. Key wanted to get to the NFL and Bama gave him the best chance to do that.
So Key began third on the depth chart entering camp. He was starting by the time it was over and played in all but two of Bama’s games last season.
“It was just going in and compete for our spot because that’s what it is on this level,” said Key. “It was for me to go in there and prepare for this level so it’d be almost a seamless transition, you know? For me, that’s what it was. So that’s what I did.
“I’m proud of that.”
Now, he aims to do it all over again at One Jets Drive.
Perhaps that’s why Key has been such a good sport all week. He was built for this kind of pressure and he’s also learned to laugh at it.
Irrelevant Week starts in Newport Beach, where the player is greeted and celebrated with a banquet. That was Key’s favorite part. He rode in on a boat, complete with cheerleaders and everything.
“It was pretty crazy,” Key laughed. “I came in on like a yacht. Oh my gosh, I was in the middle. We had cheerleaders around and when I pulled up to the banquet, everybody’s out cheering. There were more cheerleaders and a lot of pictures, a lot of signatures. It was fun.”
At the banquet, the “Lowsman Trophy” is awarded — a play off the “Heisman Trophy.” It depicts a player fumbling a football rather than securing one. The ceremony is all…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/jets-safety-jaylen-key-embracing-role-mr-irrelevant
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Publish date : 2024-07-01 20:51:07
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