Justin Durant
|
Posted By: Joah King on October 17, 2007 The expansive playbooks, the speed of the game - neither surprised rookie linebacker Justin Durant at his first minicamp practice. In fact, the only head-shaking shocker Durant has experienced thus far is the relative ease of his transition from small-school linebacker at Hampton University to Jaguars rookie. "I expected it to be a lot harder," he said. A second-round pick (48th overall), Durant joined the Jaguars as the highest draft pick in Hampton history. Just one other Hampton player (Cordell Taylor, a second-rounder in 1998) has been picked during the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. If you're looking for a small-school chip on Durant's shoulder - the one owned by most players from non-Division I-A schools - turn over a few more stones. It's not there. Durant won't let where he came from add pressure to perform, even if some critics look at the situation as one in which the Jaguars selected a small-school player too high in the draft. "People may be saying a couple of things, but obviously the Jaguars thought highly of me to draft me so high," Durant said. "I'm not really out to prove all the fans wrong and prove this or that person wrong. I'm just going out there and doing my job." At Hampton, Durant helped the Pirates to three consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles and became the first player in conference history to be named defensive player of the year in three consecutive seasons. The Jaguars envision him as an outside linebacker, which is where he lined up during the minicamp practices. A former middle linebacker at Hampton, Durant is versatile enough to play the inside or outside spots. "I really like this player," Jaguars linebackers coach Mark Duffner said after the club drafted Durant. "I just saw him [on film] game after game making play after play. At times, he got hampered with some injuries. He never took a backseat in terms of competitiveness, in terms of athleticism, in terms of play-making. "I like his attitude. He's a very hungry, competitive guy." If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Famous HBCU Alumni
 |
Want to be a millionaire? Start Pretending!!Before more money shows up, your mindset has to shift.
Take it from me, I pretended to be the millionaire I desired to become, until that very dream came true.
It’s the very reason I continue t ...more
How May I Help You NC • 192 Views • March 15th, 2026 |
 |
Jimmy Smith - Jackson StatePride of the Jaguars: Jimmy Smith
New Pride of the Jaguars inductee Jimmy Smith sits with Brian Sexton and reflects on his career, his struggles and his life today.
https://www.jaguars.com/video/pri ...more
How May I Help You NC • 497 Views • February 10th, 2026 |
 |
"We Are Still Fighting": Beatty Inspires Columbus to Continue Dr. King's Legacy at Annual MLK EventIn celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Congresswoman Beatty joined the City of Columbus' Department of Neighborhoods Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March and Program, in the spirit of Dr. Ki ...more
How May I Help You NC • 433 Views • January 25th, 2026 |
 |
MEET DRE MARTIN WHO IS SEATS BY DRE?HBCU NIGHT
From Martin’s undergraduate experience at Grambling State University, to his Executive MBA studies at Howard University, he has started his own movement to raise awareness for HBCUs, by ...more
How May I Help You NC • 519 Views • January 2nd, 2026 |
Popular Famous HBCU Alumni
 |
Della Miles takes Michelle Obama to the stage in "Obama the Musical"When Della Miles was a student at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, everyone new she would be a brighter star one day having been selected Miss PVAMU and 4th Runner-up to Miss Texas/America 1984. ...more
Frederick Roberts • 89,821 Views • April 11th, 2010 |
 |
Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey, the multi media mogul, has garnered international appeal for her talk show. As the first Black woman billionaire in world history, Winfrey has overtaken EBay CEO, Meg Whitman, as the ri ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 37,631 Views • September 30th, 2005 |
 |
Kerry D. ChandlerKerry D. Chandler, a San Diego, CA native, is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources at the National Basketball Association responsible for leading the league's global human resources strateg ...more
Ryan Rogers • 34,114 Views • May 3rd, 2011 |
 |
Rick Ross - Yep Another HBCU AlumnusWilliam Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group. He was born in Coahoma County, M ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 32,234 Views • September 1st, 2010 |
