Josh Allen plans to lead Jaguars rookies by example

The Jacksonville Jaguars held their rookie mini-camp over the weekend, giving their 2019 NFL Draft class and undrafted rookies, as well as a few try out players, their first look on an NFL practice field. By all accounts everything went well, no major injuries, and a handful of try out players got signed.

Jaguars first round pick Josh Allen met with the media following practice on Saturday and was asked a myriad of questions, one in particular about how if he felt as the team’s first round pick he needed to be the leader for the other rookies.

“Every guy out here is trying to work, we’re all trying to make a team. That’s the mentality. My role, they brought me here to do a job, so I want to lead as best I can,” Allen said when asked if he felt like a leader. “I’m trying to motivate my teammates and get everyone to keep going with me. So far, everyone is stepping up and everyone is being their own leader, leading themselves, so I’m going to set the bar high. I’m going to be the first one in line. I’m going to go hard every play. That’s just my role and that’s contagious. I feel like doing that consistently, play-in and play-out, I feel like that can bring a lot of people along.”

Everyone wants to see the “rah-rah” inspirational leader on the field, giving the big pre-game speech a la Ray Lewis, but sometimes that’s more really for show than anything else. Sometimes the best way to lead is to just bust your ass and get work down and follow it up with performance on the field.