How Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers used baseball to become a great receiver
Most of the guys you see in the NFL today once played a different sport when they were kids growing up. Sure, a good portion of them only played football. However, this league is full of pure athletes, so it's safe to assume that some of them may have played soccer, basketball, or even baseball […]
Most of the guys you see in the NFL today once played a different sport when they were kids growing up. Sure, a good portion of them only played football. However, this league is full of pure athletes, so it's safe to assume that some of them may have played soccer, basketball, or even baseball too.
I know that even former Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan played hockey growing up. For the Las Vegas Raiders very own Jakobi Meyers, he was a baseball player. Well, he played basketball too, but basketball is the sport he attributes some of his success to.
"Yeah, the basketball thing does teach you a little bit about shifting," Meyers said Friday. "But infield teaches how to just be low, wide, wide enough, able to move left and right, be quick off the ball, lighter on your feet. So, I'll probably give a lot more credit to baseball for my (football) career than I would basketball."
We hear a ton about basketball being the sport most NFL players have played before. However, baseball makes sense too. You wouldn't think of it as a sport requiring a ton of physical activity, especially compared to football. However, the way Meyers describes it makes perfect sense.
Meyers is a guy that will likely be the WR2 on this team behind Davante Adams, the best receiver in football. Meyers was the WR1 in New England and knew this offensive system well. He knows it well enough that he will be a vital asset in the offense, which is a huge reason he decided to come to Las Vegas.
Meyers is going to bring a lot to this offense.
"He's just a pretty savvy guy to not be super old in the league," Davante Adams said Wednesday. "I mean, I think this is Year 5 for him, if I'm not mistaken. That's still pretty young in this league to know how to be able to be creative with your routes but also be on time.
"And there's a lot of guys that get creative and do a lot of stuff within the route, but now a quarterback's waiting on him, and it's a sack, and it's not the same rhythm as when everybody else is catching the ball. So, there's a lot of things you can learn from him out there."
When the best receiver in the league is saying there are things you can learn from Meyers, a guy who may not be a top 50 receiver in the league, that means something. Baseball has helped him in his journey. This year, we will get to see up close and personal just what baseball has helped him with, as he looks to be a vital part of this offense.
I'm sure if Meyers is still in Las Vegas by the time the Athletics are in town, we may just see him throw out a first pitch at the ballpark.
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Featured Image Via Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
