Former Ohio State standout feels Giants WR Jalin Hyatt's pain
Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has faced an inordinate amount of criticism since getting selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Hyatt, who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2022, has faced a litany of questions about whether or not he can run effective routes in […]
Former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has faced an inordinate amount of criticism since getting selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.
Hyatt, who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2022, has faced a litany of questions about whether or not he can run effective routes in the NFL.
The idea is that Tennessee's up-tempo spread offense left Hyatt grossly unprepared for life as an NFL wide receiver.
That narrative isn't fair to Hyatt's work ethic and talent. It's also not fair to Tennessee's offense. But it's the narrative that Hyatt is working to overcome as a rookie in the NFL.
Former Ohio State standout Parris Campbell, Hyatt's teammate in New York, understands what the former Vols star is going through.
Campbell told reporters last week that he dealt with some of the same criticisms when he was coming out of Ohio State in 2019. He specifically referenced the viral clip of Dallas Cowboys wide receivers coach Robert Prince criticizing Hyatt's skillset.
"I felt it inside me," said Campbell about the viral clip (via NL.com). "It's crazy because when I was watching it, I was like, 'That was me.' If somebody is questioning your abilities on the football field, you're going to get a little offended. You just have to go out there and show them and prove yourself right."
"My senior year, I did a lot of slant routes and gos and jet sweeps and all that stuff," said Campbell of the criticism he faced ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft. "They didn't really ask me to run a variety of routes, so that was just kind of my (question mark) coming out. Everybody has those kinds of things."
Campbell's advice for Hyatt?
Don't let the criticism impact performance.
"Having to go through it year after year, I was able to kind of handle it better," explained Campbell. "Young guys get on social media and read what people are saying about them and it can affect their performance and their overall mood in terms of how they respond to things. I've learned that people are going to say whatever and you just have to keep working."
Having Campbell as a teammate should help Hyatt learn how to handle the criticism that's directed his way (especially the criticism that isn't warranted).
Hyatt has the talent and the work ethic to be a star in the NFL. And I think everyone knows that if anything, Hyatt will use the criticism as motivation to prove folks wrong in the coming years.
Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
