23-year-old Jaguars receiver who was cut 3 times in a year lived out of his car for months before becoming a star on the NFL's most surprising team
- Jaguars punt returner and receiver Jaydon Mickens lived out of his car while he was om the team's practice squad.
- Mickens would park at the stadium or a hotel overnight to sleep then go to the team facilities to begin his days,
- Now on the full-time squad, Mickens has been one of the most effective punt returners in the NFL.
One of the breakout players on the breakout Jacksonville Jaguars squad went to extremes to protect his future uncertain.
According to Phillip Heilman of Jacksonville.com, when Jaydon Micken signed with the Jaguars practice squad in September after being cut by the Oakland Raiders weeks prior, he decided to live out of his car
So, unsure how long he'd be in Jacksonville, Mickens, 23, wanted to save money instead of paying for temporary housing.
"If you're on a month or year lease, you can't break it," Mickens told Heilman. "I didn't know how long I was going to be here. You can be here for two weeks and then gone tomorrow."
According to Heilman, Mickens estimated that he made about $6,500 in weekly checks while on the practice squad and he wanted to save that money in case he needed it later on.
He and teammate Larry Pickard both would get in their cars at the end of the day and find a place to park and sleep - sometimes the Jaguars' EverBank Stadium or a hotel parking lot. The next day they would go the facilities to go in the hot or cold tub and get breakfast before team meetings and practice. He never told teammates or staff about his living situation so as not to be a distraction.
Mickens was promoted to the full-time squad in Week 7 and now makes the rookie minimum of about $465,000. The promotion has paid off for the Jaguars - Mickens has served as one of the best punt returners in the NFL. He has one touchdown on the year and his 13.1 yard average return is second best in the NFL. In the Jagaurs' Week 15 win over the Houston Texans, Mickens also caught five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Punt returning is one of the more difficult jobs in the NFL, and Mickens' teammates respect him for it. Right guard A.J. Cann told Heilman: "Sometimes I say, man, I could do a punt return. But at the same time, you've got to look up at the ball, look up at the coverage, focus on what you have to do. It takes a special person to do that, and he's a special guy."
According to Heilman, Mickens and Pinkard bought a townhouse in Jacksonville and are no longer living out of their cars.
With the spark he's provided for the 10-4 Jaguars, Mickens clearly plans to be around for a while.