Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers on lateral that led to loss: 'I didn't see Chandler Jones at the time'
Introduction
Jakobi Meyers had a pretty good rookie season with the New England Patriots. He caught 26 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown in 2019, but he's hoping to make his mark on this year's squad as well.
New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is one of the few players left on the roster from the 2019 season.
Jakobi Meyers is a wide receiver for the New England Patriots. He was undrafted out of NC State in 2019 and caught 26 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown that season.
Meyers was not expected to do much more over the next two seasons, but he proved everyone wrong by hauling in six passes for 107 yards against Houston on Sunday night—a game that ultimately won't matter much in terms of playoff seeding, but does show off some potential for future success as well as making him one of only three wideouts left standing from last year's team (along with Julian Edelman and Kenny Britt).
The undrafted rookie out of NC State caught 26 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown that season, with little expectation for more over the next two seasons.
The undrafted rookie out of NC State caught 26 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown that season, with little expectation for more over the next two seasons.
Then he went to training camp in 2020, and saw Chandler Jones walk into the building. He was an undrafted free agent who spent last year on the practice squad and had never started a game before, but by this time Meyers was an established starter at wide receiver. The Patriots acquired his rights from Carolina after he caught eight passes for 94 yards against their defensive backs during Week 1 of their playoff run last season—a performance which earned him recognition as one of ESPN's top performers at his position (despite not having played in any games).
But after New England traded longtime starter Julian Edelman to Detroit and lost veteran Damiere Byrd to free agency, Meyers quickly became one of Cam Newton's top targets.
But after New England traded longtime starter Julian Edelman to Detroit and lost veteran Damiere Byrd to free agency, Meyers quickly became one of Cam Newton's top targets.
Meyers was a late-round draft pick who had a successful rookie season with the Patriots in 2019. He signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent in 2018, but didn't play much at all before being released by Cleveland last year. That led many analysts to believe that he would not be able to carve out an NFL career as a wide receiver or return man due to his lack of size (5'10", 180 pounds) and speed (4.49-second 40-yard dash). But after New England traded longtime starter Julian Edelman to Detroit and lost veteran Damiere Byrd (who had been injured most of last season), it became clear that they needed someone who could step up on offense immediately if they wanted any chance at making it into Super Bowl LIII against either Atlanta or Kansas City next February 2nd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia USA.
He hauled in 68 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns during his sophomore season, including 63 for 614 yards and four touchdowns in eight games with Newton as the quarterback.
With Newton as the quarterback, Meyers hauled in 68 passes for 729 yards and four touchdowns during his sophomore season. He had 63 receptions for 614 yards and four touchdowns in eight games with Newton as the quarterback.
But even though he saw Newton's work ethic and attitude up close, he didn't understand what was coming until the quarterback signed with New England this offseason.
But even though he saw Newton's work ethic and attitude up
close, he didn't understand what was coming until the quarterback signed with
New England this offseason.
"I knew that Cam had an attitude about him,"
Meyers said. "But when I first met him I thought he was just another guy
who was passionate about football and loved what they did."
But as time went on, Meyers realized that there was more to
the story than just his passion for the game. And when Newton switched teams in
February—a move that shocked some fans—Meyers said he knew it wasn't just any
old change of scenery for Cam; it was much bigger than that."He changed
his perspective a lot," said Meyers.
"I ain't lying to you, [Newton] changed my perspective a lot," Meyers said Saturday after an interview on NFL Network. "He has a great way of getting his energy and his positive energy on people walk around in life."
- "He has a great way of getting his energy and his positive energy on people walk around in life."
- "That's why it's so tough to play against him because he can get you going, make you want to do better," Meyers said. "And when things go wrong, we want to make sure those mistakes don't happen again."
Newton also helped Meyers shed some bad habits, like staying up too late or not eating enough vegetables.
Meyers has a lot to learn from Newton, who is just as driven off the field as he is on it. He also helped Meyers shed some bad habits, like staying up too late or not eating enough vegetables.
"He's just an awesome dude," Meyers said. "Just to see how he lives his life and how he trains and everything else, it's pretty cool."
"He just kind of sees that, how guys work when it comes to health," Meyers said. "I got sucked into that."
And if Newton’s influence is anything, it's this: Meyers has been working out in between practices at the team facility and feels better than he has since high school. He's also down 10 pounds from his playing weight and feels lighter on his feet.
"He just kind of sees that, how guys work when it comes to health," Meyers said. "I got sucked into that."
Conclusion
Meyers' journey from undrafted rookie to one of Newton's top targets is an inspiring story that shows how hard work and a positive attitude can lead to success.
