Hey Jaguars fans! If you’re reading this, you’ve stumbled upon my passion project, Teal With It. I’m a college student with no academic connection to sports or writing, but have had a lifelong love for football, especially the Jacksonville Jaguars. Whether you see it as a gift or a curse, being a part of this fanbase and team has brought countless great memories.
This past season has been so exceptionally exciting that it inspired me to chase a passion I never pursued before: sportswriting. I am not going to pretend to be a professional, or seek to be a source of breaking news, but instead I’m just finding my own creative outlet to contribute to the community and express my passion for the team.
While this article specifically won’t feature any analysis, you can expect plenty of it to come, along whatever else I feel compelled to discuss. As I start my exciting journey into Teal With It, I wanted to begin by giving everyone a window into who I am and what my Jaguars experience has been.
Why am I a fan of the Jaguars?
I get this one a lot, especially because I’m not actually from Jacksonville. My parents lived in Jacksonville when it was first announced that the city was getting a team, and were season ticket holders during the franchise’s infant years. They moved to Houston, which is where I grew up and fell in love with the Jaguars (thanks to my parents fandom). I got to go to the game in Houston every year, making the experience all more real and exciting.
Who is my All-Time favorite Jaguar?
I was born after the success of the late 90s, and was too young to remember much of the early 2000s. That being said, it was Maurice Jones-Drew who always excited me most as a kid. I had an MJD jersey I wore almost obsessively through elementary school. Even with the excitement surrounding the current players and the legacy of the ones that came before him, no player could possibly mean more to my Jaguars experience than Pocket Hercules himself, MJD.
What is my Favorite Jaguars Memory?
It is so hard not to pick one of the dozen moments that happened this season. I missed out on the final home games because of a study abroad semester, but being in The Bank for either of those games may have topped this list. Instead, I’m going to go with the AFC Wild Card game in 2017, when the Jaguars hosted the Buffalo Bills. That was the first home playoff game I ever attended. The atmosphere and the opportunity to enjoy it all with my family was such a special experience.
Who am I as a fan?
I will own it now: I have been incredibly hot and cold as a fan, but always from a place of love for the team. Should my texts threads ever be released, I would certainly owe apologies to a few players and coaches on the team. Part of this experiment will be to find a means of staying more grounded as a fan, but it would be a disservice to try and remove the excitement and emotions of the ups and downs from my own passion project.
What can you expect from Teal With It?
In short, I’m not sure yet. I’m going to be fairly consistent through the offseason with new articles. I’m excited for surprises I have upcoming, along with reflections on the season with player grades, free agency and draft analysis, and whatever else excites me with this team.
During the season (when we finally do get there), I’m hoping of having ongoing analysis, predictions, and picks segments. I also have a background in statistics, so don’t be surprised if random metrics I invent make their way into articles over the course of the year too. Ultimately, what you should expect is a lot of passion and discussion on a team we all love, whether we want to or not!
Once again, welcome to Teal With It! If you haven’t, follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@teal_withit), and get excited for coverage and analysis on the most optimistic offseason the Jaguars have had in my lifetime.
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