Ashton Jeanty, the newest addition to the Las Vegas Raiders, has gained attention for his unique pre-snap stance, which he has maintained since high school. Bizarrely threatening, Jeanty’s position brings an unsettling fierceness as he goes tall with his hands down. This killer-clownish stance has prompted many to liken him to Michael Myers, the boogeyman of the “Halloween” slasher flicks. Jeanty fully embraces the comedic aspect of these comparisons, dressing up as Michael Myers for an Instagram photo shoot around Halloween last year. Now, as he begins his adopted profession in the NFL, an unexpected switch looms.
Chip Kelly, the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator, wants Jeanty to take more of an aggressive approach. Since that rookie minicamp, Jeanty has begun his winding path with the Raiders. Kelly did a great job in presenting a different approach by working closely with her other players Ashton Adams. He highlighted its impact on the flow and organization of play on the field.
Now, that’s precisely why you need to be low in your running back stance, Kelly stated during the demonstration.
Despite this push for change, Jeanty is still determined to stick with his original position. He understands that he needs to prove he deserves a spot on this roster. Only then will he be ready to make any concrete calls about his lineup.
I’m still going to attempt to get that one past him someday. I gotta get my stripes and prove myself and make plays first,” Jeanty told me during an interview earlier this month. I hope that is the last word from me on the subject.
This conversation took place on the “Up & Adams Show,” where Jeanty humorously mentioned his basketball skills, saying, “Yeah, I play basketball, you know I can dunk and all that.”
Moving to the NFL will be an adjustment and Jeanty views this transition as a station on his journey as a player. “You know, sometimes you have to, you know, go with the flow,” he noted, acknowledging the need to adjust while still holding on to his identity.
As Jeanty continues to face this adversity, he is still working hard to show that he can make plays on the field. There’s no replacing the experience he’ll get in rookie minicamp, and that’ll be key. It will assist him distinguish his place with the Raiders moving forward and determine future processes about how he plays.
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