Ashton Jeanty is heading into his first Las Vegas Raiders regular-season game with confidence. The running back and his teammates will be looking to get off on the right foot in their Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
In an interview with GQ that was published on September 5, Jeanty recently stated how he enjoys being a physical runner. However, CBS Sports writer John Breech called out the Raiders youngster over these remarks, noting it’s one thing to be a physical runner in the Mountain West Conference, but it’s another to do it in the NFL.
“Now, the one thing to kind of watch here, and we just read that quote from GQ, where [Jeanty] said, ‘Yeah, I love the contact. I love to run over people,’” Breech said on the September 5 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.” “Well, that works in the Mountain West Conference; it’s going to be a little bit different in the NFL.
“So, I think that is one of the first things you look out for: Does that running style translate into the NFL, or is he going to get into a situation where maybe he tries to avoid contact a little bit? ‘Cause you don’t want to get hit really hard on every single play. Even if you love contact, that’s how you shorten your career. So, it will be interesting to see how he develops as the season goes on, and how much the Raiders use him.”
What Did the Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty?
Now, what Jeanty said isn’t at all controversial. It’s just the way the player likes to play the game that has led him to the NFL.
“I don’t really shy away from contact, and once I make my read, I get north and south quickly. If you’re in the way, that’s your fault,“ Jeanty said. “Everybody doesn’t like that. I don’t know why I like it. Maybe I’m a little bit psychotic.”
Nonetheless, everyone knows that not everything that a player does in college can be translated into the NFL. The players in the league are faster and bigger than what players see routinely in college. In the NFL it’s the best of the best to come out of college football.
The Silver and Black will count on him right out of the gate, so we will see if the physical style is something Jeanty can do against teams now that the regular season is underway. Moreover, if he can, it will be interesting to see if head coach Pete Carroll decides to dial back to preserve the player for the long term and not let him rack up injuries.
Ashton Jeanty Wants to be a Reliable Running Back
Running backs have become a position where teams have a high turnover wait, and one that doesn’t get major paydays. Nonetheless, Jeanty wants to become a valuable piece for the Raiders and follow in the footsteps of Saquon Barkley, who is at the heart of a Super Bowl-winning team.
“Saquon’s done a great job at putting great things on display for the running back position and showing our value to the team by winning the biggest game possible,“ Jeanty added. “Not only that, there’s so many other great guys [at the position] like Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs. Me getting drafted as high as I did showed the value is coming back.”
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