Jacksonville Jaguars

Head Coach Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars talks to Raines Students

// May 13th, 2010 // No Comments » // Jacksonvill Jaguars in the Community, Tebow, jack del rio

Jags’ Del Rio Talks To Raines Students
Coach Suggests Playing-Field Principles Students Should Apply To Life Goals

POSTED: Thursday, May 13, 2010
UPDATED: 1:29 pm EDT May 13, 2010
Jack Del Rio at Raines High School
Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio talks with students at Raines High School.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio spent part of his morning Thursday at Raines High School speaking to a small group of students.

He told them how they can apply some principals from the playing field toward winning in life.

“How many people know what courage is?” Del Rio asked the students.

It was like a locker room talk as the NFL coach shared some of his wisdom with the students.

“If you’re not willing to stand up for what’s right and hold somebody else accountable, then you’re not showing courage,” Del Rio said.

He used principles from the field — things like team work, discipline, faith and accountability — and suggested the students apply them toward their own life goals.

“Sometimes I have to stand up in front of my guys and say, ‘You know what, I made a mistake,’” Del Rio said.

Del Rio said when the school’s principal invited him, it was an easy yes.

“I basically put down a few notes from the heart and came in here and visited, and it’s very similar to the messages I give to the football team,” he said.

Students had a chance to ask questions and didn’t miss an opportunity to ask the coach about the Jags.

“Why didn’t you draft Tebow?” one student asked.

“That’s a popular question,” Del Rio said. “I think once (first-round draft pick Tyson) Alu Alu gets here, I think he’s going to make a strong impact on the community.”

Students gave the coach their undivided attention, and the school’s athletes had even more to gain.

“Leadership on the football field is leading the team, but also the classrooms, doing the right things, and in the hallways, and also attitude,” Del Rio said.

One football player at the school said it best.

“Jack Del Rio talks to you, you listen,” he said.

Copyright 2010 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jacksonville Draft 2010 > Why Jacksonville needs a Second Round Pick

// April 9th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // College Football, Gene Smith, Jacksonvill Jaguars in the Community, Maurice Jones Drew, NFL Draft, NFL Network, Scouting

So as you can imagine I’ve been pouring over draft boards looking for value picks and trying to figure out what the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to do. I have to admit it’s pretty frustrating for Jacksonville not having a second round pick. As lifelong fan of the NFL, some of the best skill players come out of the second round.

Don’t believe me? Well how about a guy name Maurice Jones Drew. This Jaguar is  rubbing elbows with arguably the the most popular first lady since Jackie Onasis and who is quickly becoming one of the darlings of Rich Eisen and the NFL network. He made it to us from California, by way of the Second Round.

Good for our Jaguars, GREAT for Jacksonville.

What Jacksonville Jaguar came in the first round of the draft that year? Marcedes Lewis. Good player who has taken a few years away from that draft to blossom, but has he had the impact that Maurice Jones Drew has had?! Not quite.

As disappointing as not having a second round pick in the 2010 draft has been, knowing that we Got Derrick Cox who has turned out to be AT LEAST a #2 corner only bolsters my faith in Gene Smith. Would I give up a second rounder for Derrick Cox right now. Definitely!

Ideally I’d like to get trade our 1st rounder and 3rd rounder (or preferably a 4th) for 2 Second Rounders. Would You rather have 2 Maurice Jones Drews, or a Marcedes Lewis and Clint Ingram from 2006? Or how about a Matt Jones and Scott Starks from 2005?

As an aside, alot of my fellow Bloggers come up with these dream scenarios where we trade Greg Jones for a second rounder. Grow Up Jacksonville bloggers!

Looking at the 2010 NFL Draft, Jacksonville’s reality is they most likely won;t have a second rounder in the draft. I took a look at how many receivers went in the first two rounds of the 2009 draft last year which was 8. So here are the receivers ranked 8-15 that may come our way in the 3rd round.

Don’t want a wideout in the third round? Well you number 1 receiver come by way of the Third Round, Mike Sims-Walker. Check the post below!

Myron Rolle fosters ambition in foster children

// April 7th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // College Football, Jacksonvill Jaguars in the Community, Scouting, Senior Bowl, Tickets

By Garry Smits

STARKE – Ryan Mote passed the helicopter, the patrol boat and the display of modern Army weapons and equipment at Camp Blanding’s parade field Monday and made a beeline for an artificial, 30-foot high rock wall.

Eager to take on his first challenge of the week before it officially started, Mote, a 14-year-old from Callahan, had a National Guardsman strap him into a safety harness, then began scaling the obstacle.

After several attempts to get going, he got halfway up before finally conceding – on this day.

By Friday, when the first Myron Rolle Wellness and Leadership Academy comes to an end, Mote should be reaching the top in more ways than one.

“They may not realize the full purpose of why they’re here right now,” said Sarah Markman, director of Family Support Services of Northeast Florida, who is staying with eight youths from Duval County. “But by the end of the week, they’ll be overcoming a lot of challenges.”

That’s the purpose of the Academy, launched by Rolle, the former Florida State defensive back and Rhodes Scholar, in a joint effort with the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Military Affairs.

One hundred youth from around the state, between 12 to 14 years old and in foster care, are participating in the Academy at no cost. Between Monday and Friday, they will learn about health, nutrition, fitness, sportsmanship, leadership skills and team-building.

There are 18 youths from the First Coast participating, almost 20 percent of the total.

Appearing as mentors or motivational speakers during the week, in addition to Rolle’s constant presence will be NFL players such as Greg Jones of the Jaguars, Samari Rolle of the Ravens, Antrel Rolle of the Cardinals; Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger, who inspired the movie of the same name; Herman Boone, the former high school coach of “Remember the Titans” fame; and Olympians Rita Buck-Crockett and Lauryn Williams.

They will be assisted by a staff of more than 60 volunteers. Also helping will be members of the National Guard, many of whom are taking time out from training for an upcoming deployment to Iraq.

For Myron Rolle, who has been planning the Academy since late last year, opening day at Camp Blanding was similar to the day of a big football game at FSU.

“This whole week is going to be a fantastic experience for the kids,” Rolle said. “I’m very excited and thrilled.”

Rolle said foster children need to feel “wanted, loved and cared for.”

“This Academy was built to do that,” he said. “We want to have these kids feel included, as if they’re part of something special.”

During the opening ceremony, Rolle challenged the youths to realize their own potential.

“We’re here to provide an opportunity to see greatness in yourself,” Rolle said. “We believe in you. Now, you have to believe in yourself.”

Florida Department of Children and Families secretary George H. Sheldon said the idea for the Academy came from a conversation he and Rolle had last fall, after Rolle found out he had received a Rhodes Scholarship and would be going to Oxford, England, later this summer.

In addition to the speakers and sessions on health and nutrition, the participants will compete in team sports and physical fitness – complete with runs at 7:30 a.m.

“I think it’s going to be fun,” said Jay Jay Thompson, a 14-year-old who lives in Orange Park. “Sports, running, jumping … it’s going to be challenging.”

Sheldon said more important than the physical activity is building self-confidence.

“A lot of these kids have been moved from home to home to home, and there’s a feeling as if they don’t belong anywhere,” he said. “They have come to believe they’re not going to be anything. They can’t dream. This camp will help them to dream, believe and achieve.”

Thompson, for one, was ready to start believing.

“I want to learn to be a leader,” she said. “A leader is someone who knows what they’re about and who they really are.”

garry.smits@jacksonville.com

http://myronrolle.com/

Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew rubs elows with Michelle Obama

// March 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Jacksonvill Jaguars in the Community, Maurice Jones Drew, Player News, Pocket Hercules

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http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/03/15/daily17.html
by Kimberly Morrison Staff Writer
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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is representing the NFL today at the National Press Club, where he will discuss the league’s initiative to combat childhood obesity.

“Challenges and Ways to Promote Health and Wellness in America’s Communities” will be broadcast on CSPAN from noon until 2 p.m.

Newsweek Magazine selected Jones-Drew, who has been actively involved with the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program, for its executive forum.

The Fuel Up to Play 60 program emphasizes daily activity, fitness and nutrition for better health among children.

“I’m honored and excited to be asked to go to our nation’s capital to represent the NFL at this forum,” Jones-Drew said. “Tackling youth obesity is very important, and is an issue that both the First Lady and the NFL have been vocal about. We need to get the word out and I’m pleased to be asked to participate.”

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http://www.jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=8806
From Jaguars.com
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Newsweek Magazine selected Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew to speak at the publication’s Executive Forum: Childhood Obesity, “Challenges and Ways to Promote Health and Wellness in America’s Communities” on Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The event will be held from noon to 2:00 p.m. and is scheduled for broadcast on CSPAN.

Jones-Drew has been actively involved with the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program, a league-wide initiative to combat youth obesity. The emphasis is on daily activity, fitness, and nutrition for better health. More information about the program can be found at http://www.fueluptoplay60.com.

“I’m honored and excited to be asked to go to our nation’s capitol to represent the NFL at this forum,” Jones-Drew said. “Tackling youth obesity is very important, and is an issue that both the First Lady and the NFL have been vocal about. We need to get the word out and I’m pleased to be asked to participate.”

The luncheon, presented in partnership with the National Dairy Council and its affiliates, is designed to increase awareness about this national health issue and policy priority.

Jones-Drew will also attend a luncheon at the Newseum on Wednesday, March 17 where First Lady Michelle Obama will participate in the magazine’s Executive Forum on childhood obesity entitled, “Challenges and Ways to Promote Health and Wellness in America’s Communities.” Obama started a nationwide campaign, Let’s Move, to tackle the problem of childhood obesity in a generation.