Gardner Minshew almost never had a career in the NFL. He was a sixth-round QB and he helped the Jags to pick up their win on Thursday. His performance was amazing to say the least and the Jags really are lucky to have him. What’s interesting though is that he once never even contemplated pursuing the NFL. He had a long college career and he nearly asked for a transfer to Alabama. He did this so that he would be able to learn under the guidance of Nick Saban. This would have left to a potential coaching job, which was something he was very interested in at the time. The one and only Mike Leach persuaded him to stay, where he transferred to Washington State. He had an impressive season there which eventually helped him to get drafted into the NFL.
The Moustached Rookie QB
Minshew was trusted with a starting role so that he could cover for Nick Foles. This was a big ask for the newbie, but he helped to guide them to their first win. He managed to get two touchdowns and he was also able to throw for over 200 yards. The Jags beat the Titans 20-7. Casino sites such as NetBet listed the Titans as being the favourites to win, but the Jags pulled out a surprising victory.
Minshew’s career began at the college in Mississippi and he then led the team to the Junior Championship. He then transferred to East Carolina and there he had to share his time with another QB. He contemplated going to Alabama in 2018 with hopes of being able to get a coaching job with Nick Saban.
A Graduate Assistant?
According to Minshew, Nick Saban said that he would take him under his wing as being a graduate assistant. Washington State coach Mike Leach then gave Minshew a quick call and made him an offer. He asked him if he wanted to lead the entire country in terms of passing yards. Minshew stated that it was tough to turn down Alabama, but he really did want to see how far he could take his football career. He has a lot of respect for the NFL staff and he does still have the ultimate goal of getting into coaching. His goal since he was a young child was to get into the NFL and that’s what influenced his decision.
Now he’s a starting QB for the Jags, it’s safe to say that the dream has come true. Minshew put together a very impressive season under Leach’s offense and he has thrown for over 4,700 yards and he was also able to throw for 38 touchdowns too. With all of these impressive stats, he was actually only off-target with 9 interceptions. 70% of his passes were completed and this is one of the many reasons why the Jaguars chose him to be their backup. Sure, they might not have thought they’d need him so soon, but he’s certainly living up to the role.
