Frustration is a common theme for five-star football players with God-given abilities at skill positions that feel as though they are not being well incorporate into the system.
In high school, these types of student-athletes were heavily featured due to everyone knowing how explosive they were and the opposition had no way of stopping them. College, on the other hand, is a different story.
The majority of athletes that attend the University of Alabama were all recognized as the “Mr. Football” of their respective high schools, garnered four or five-star ratings from recruiting networks, and were probably ranked high on the ESPN 300 site.
When situations do not pan out according to the first plan, adjustments must be made and that comes with sports as well as life. Sophomore receiver Jerry Jeudy experienced this first-hand last season as a freshman with the Crimson Tide. Hailing from Deerfield Beach, Fla., Jeudy was one of the nation’s most coveted targets in the 2017 signing class. Regarded a five-star by almost every major network, the exceptional route runner was tabbed as a “can’t miss” prospect.
Coming from the same pipeline as Amari Cooper and Calvin Ridley, Jeudy knew he was destined for immediate playing time. While he did see the field, there were moments in which he was open on plays and did not get the ball. Much venting for him took place on Twitter as he posted cryptic messages on whether or not he should have stayed home for his collegiate career.
Things have perked up for Jeudy since then, seeing how he caught a pass in the national championship game and is now recovered from an injury he suffered in spring practice.
In discussing his growth both physically (up to 192 pounds) and mentally, Alabama head coach Nick Saban mentioned that the biggest things with Jeudy is to “not get frustrated.”
“He’s had an outstanding fall camp,” Saban said Thursday of Jeudy.
“When you play wide receiver, you are running 70 plays in a game. You run fast and you try to get open on all of those plays. Maybe you get the ball five times on a big day and sometimes you are open and you think you should get the ball, but being able to understand that you are creating value for yourself every time you beat a defensive back. He knows he got beat, whether you got the ball or not. And to build on that, play fast and be consistent are the things he has improved dramatically on.”
One thing to note about Jeudy is how he took on Scott Cochran’s offseason workout program during the summer. After coming in at 180 pounds, he’s put on healthy weight to endure hits in the Southeastern Conference and his arms look like cannons. According to sources, he became very serious about his route running as he trained at the practice facility, at a beach on spring break, or just any area where he found room to work. Jeudy has gravitated toward co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach, Josh Gattis. He views the 34-year-old as a role model and Gattis is getting much production from Jeudy in pushing routes harder on defensive backs.
It is clear that he probably took offense to the Fred Biletnikoff Award not listing him or any other wide receiver from the Tide on its watch list. He caught just 14 passes in 2017, but that number should increase exponentially starting in week one against Louisville in Orlando, Fla.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
