There’s never been a question about Jimmy Smith’s on-field greatness. Smith is one of just three players to play more than ten seasons for the Jaguars, from 1995-2005, and still owns 11 team records 10 years after his retirement in 2006. But how to you honor a player during his much-publicized struggle with drug addition […]
“It’s not the end, but it’s a new beginning.” It was with that statement that former Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith summed up his thoughts about being the latest player to be invited to join The Pride of the Jaguars. Smith’s statistics are gaudy by any measure of wide receivers in the NFL and outsized when […]
When the owner says it’s time to win, it’s time to win. And while he didn’t use those specific words today, Jaguars Owner Shad Khan clearly has high expectations for his team in 2016. “Absolutely, I can’t wait,” Khan said when I asked him if he was excited about the start of training camp next […]
It’s been a pretty dramatic transformation in the Jaguars locker room over the last four years. As much as General Manager Dave Caldwell has been looking for talent as he builds the roster, he’s been vetting players’ personalities as well. There’s a certain type of player that can work inside a team with Head Coach […]
For those of you who have followed by journey since my stem-cell surgery in November, first I want to say thank you. Somebody asks me about my knee, the procedure, the braces I wore or my rehab everyday, and I appreciate it. Since the stem-cell procedure is so new in the US, the experts are […]
He’s certainly no stranger to the stadium but it took an assignment from the NFL Network to get former Jaguars running back Maurice Jones Drew back on the Jaguars practice field. “Getting a feel for the team,” Jones Drew responded when asked what brought him to town. The network wants him to have a good […]
When he first arrived on the University of Florida campus in 1976, Jeremy Foley thought he had made a mistake. “I drove down here from New Hampshire with my dad and got out of the car,” he said in Gainesville on Tuesday formally announcing his retirement as Athletic Director effective October 1st. “It was 4000 […]
Looking for that blend of veterans and youth going into the 2016 season, the Jaguars are counting on Sen’Derrick Marks to return from injury, back to his Pro Bowl form. Marks returned for the final OTA on Friday, a little ahead of schedule. “That is what is good about our staff,” Marks said after practice. […]
It’s a “feel good” story for the Jaguars and their players. You can add anybody who ever overcame adversity to that list as well. Third-year wide receiver Allen Hurns, who made the team with his work ethic and performance as an undrafted free-agent signed a $40 million, 4-year contract with the team yesterday, rewarding him […]
You might think this time of year would be tedious for a veteran like Julius Thomas. But after missing last year’s training camp and trying to get involved with the Jaguars offense as the season progressed, he says these OTA’s for the Jaguars are important. “This is probably the biggest time of the year for […]
During his time on the PGA Tour, Hale Irwin had a reputation as a fierce competitor. It helped him to three U.S. Open titles but it also meant he was respected and sometimes feared by his peers. Irwin shot a final round 69 at the Regions Tradition in Birmingham on Sunday, just a few days […]
In his fourth year as the Jaguars head coach, Gus Bradley is pretty much done creating a culture. You could tell from his opening statement after the first OTA of 2016. “I would say a good start, not a great start,” is how he started. “I thought there were some things, but I kind of […]
About the first dozen people I told that Jalen Ramsey had a tear in his meniscus had the same reaction: “Come on! Really? Are the Jaguars snake bit?” It’s easy to draw that conclusion after last year’s injury to Dante Fowler and the just plain old bad luck the Jaguars have had in the last […]
It might have looked like a calm “walkabout” but Jason Day said it was anything but before the final round of the 2016 Players. “I told Ellie earlier this morning, this is probably the most nervous I’ve been before a tournament round,” he recounted after finishing at -15 and recording his seventh victory in his […]
It was a blistering pace that he couldn’t possibly keep up but it was clear Rory McIlroy brought his ‘A’ game for the second round of THE PLAYERS. Starting on the back nine where he’s had tremendous success, Mcilroy birdied the first four holes and went birdie-eagle at 15 and 16 to shoot 29 on […]
For the 13th hole-in-one of his golfing career, PGA TOUR player Will Wilcox picked a high profile spot. A pitching wedge from 147 yards flew straight and true and rolled into the cup at the 17th hole at the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course on Friday. It’s the first ace at 17 in 14 years […]
There’s not a hard and fast rule on when to stop play because of weather on the PGA TOUR but they do have parameters. Tournament officials who are on the road each week at the various TOUR stops work with the on-site meteorologist to decided when to stop play. “It depends on the speed of […]
As I was walking by the front door of Sawgrass Country Club, I noticed Jordan Spieth sitting in his PGA Tour courtesy car, working on his phone. That’s when former player and current PGA Tour caddie (for Webb Simpson) Paul Tesori came up with his wife Michelle and their son. “Say hi to Uncle Jordan,” […]
On a day full of low scores perhaps it’s no surprise that the world’s number one player Jason Day grabbed the first round lead at THE PLAYERS, tying the course record at nine-under 63. “The temperature was hot, so the ball was going a long way, and when the ball goes a long way, you’re […]
Here are some notes from the first round: Jason Day joins Greg Norman (1994) Fred Couples (1992) Roberto Castro (2013) and Martin Kaymer (2014) as a record holder for lowest round ever at the TPC Stadium Course during THE PLAYERS. Norman and Kaymer won the years they shot 63. Day’s previous low round at THE […]
In succession the number one player in the world, last week’s winner on the PGA Tour and the 2016 Masters Champion all stepped up the podium to address this year’s Players Championship. “This is the toughest field we have all year, It’s a big even and it’s getting bigger and bigger,” said world number one […]
You’ve probably seen the commercials for The Players featuring the defending champion Rickie Fowler where he talks about “Jax Beach, Ponte Vedra and going to Taco Lu.” Having spent time with Fowler since the beginning of his career I can tell you he’s authentic when he says stuff like that. His comfort level at the […]
As a politician, Mayor Lenny Curry is used to looking for a way to win. For the Gate River Run on Saturday he’ll have find a new definition for the word victory. “The streets are lined with people, I remember seeing beer stands last year,” Mr. Curry told me before a training run in his […]
Forced out of action last September with a wrist injury, Ponte Vedra’s Jim Furyk thought he’d be back on the course before the first of the year. But on February 1st, still struggling to get healthy, Furyk announced he’d miss another three months because of surgery on his wrist. “This has been frustrating for me […]
For years, Monday was a moneymaking day on the PGA Tour. Not in competition, but rather at corporate outings, appearances and making money for charity. With the amount of money available each week at the regular Tour stops, some of that has disappeared. Monday’s at major championships are full of practice rounds and arrivals and […]
I ran into Atlanta Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitrioff last year at the NFL owners meeting walking down a hallway to dinner. “Hey, I work with Dave Caldwell a lot and he said he learned a lot from you,” I said as we shook hands. “Be careful,” he responded, “He’s really smart.” Smart. And measured, […]
Sticking to the plan and a little luck put the best player in front of the Jaguars in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Getting Jalen Ramsey with the 5th pick seemed like a pipe dream when the Jaguars did their own mock drafts. A scenario where Ramsey was still on the board […]
It doesn’t take long for Shad Khan to figure out what he likes and doesn’t like when it comes to a business he owns. After his first draft day as owner of the Jaguars, he knew there were some things he didn’t like. “It wasn’t until the afternoon of the day of the draft that […]
When you go to talk with Bill Murray, you know two things: 1) You don’t know what he’s going to say or talk about and 2) something funny is going to happen. I’ve had a chance to talk with Bill over the years since he’s been holding his annual Murray Brothers Golf Tournament here in […]
When Jim McElwain took the Florida Gators to the SEC title game last year, he knew it would be a hard act to follow. On Wednesday night in Jacksonville to talk with the Gator faithful, McElwain said recruiting this area is key to continued success. “We have roughly 15 to 17 players from this neck […]
It took nearly an extra week but USA Soccer Hall of Famer Tony Meola has his first win as the head coach of the Jacksonville Armada. In their home opener, the Armada defeated the expansion Miami FC 2-1 at the Baseball Grounds on Friday night. Earlier in the week, Meola said the Armada needed a […]
He was a know quantity when it came to football. Speed, reaction, hands, determination and on-field presence. Rashean Mathis’ career at Englewood High and at Bethune-Cookman showed he could play the game. What was unknown was whether Mathis’ physical gifts would translate to the tough world of professional football. As a second round pick of […]
Each year in the run up to the first full week of April, in hushed tones we hear an announcer say, “A tradition like no other, the Masters.” It’s a catchy phrase but it’s actually true. The Masters has a tradition like no other sporting event. Other events have traditions, they drink milk in Victory […]
With the continued advancement of coaching, nutrition and overall data in sports the natural progression is to keep up with those advancements with better player care. That’s the goal of Project 17, a public initiative that is dedicated to place full-time certified athletic trainers at all 17 high schools in Duval Country by 2020. Five […]
Getting a game that counts has always bee on the “to do” list for the city of Jacksonville when it comes to USA Soccer and that will happen for the first time in 2016. Mayor Lenny Curry as well as sports executives from the Jaguars, the Armada and SMG will make the announcement tomorrow morning. […]
You might remember before Super Bowl XXXIX here in Jacksonville, then-Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser wrote a scathing review of Jacksonville as the host city. Since Channel 4 at the time was also owned by the Post, I invited Kornheiser to come on the air and explain his distaste for the city. He declined, but […]
Over his career before and as the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Shad Khan hasn’t been impressed by talk. Action and results are what he’s looking for and gives his employees the tools to be successful. That’s why this week at the NFL Meetings in Boca Raton, Khan heard the positive talk about the Jaguars […]
Following and tracking what Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell has said from his first day on the job, he hasn’t wavered. Caldwell is measured in his dealings with the media but honest when he can be. That’s why 2016 will be a bit of a litmus test for what he’s done in the four years […]
At the NFL’s Annual Meeting in Boca Raton, the Jaguars were everybody’s “sleeper pick” to make some noise in the AFC South and contend for a post season berth. But long suffering Jaguars fans probably only heard one phrase uttered by Head Coach Gus Bradley at the annual AFC Coaches Breakfast: “Five year plan.” Wait. […]
With the unpredictable weather in North Florida in late February you wouldn’t think that Ponte Vedra Beach would be a good location for an early-spring college golf tournament. But it’s exactly that unpredictability that has been an attractive part of “The Hayt” for 25 years. Starting at Queens Harbor Golf Club and eventually moving the […]
