Chasing The Lombardi 05/18

This week’s column compares the Superstars around the AFC South. Every team that ever won the “Chase” to the Lombardi Trophy had a Superstar, some had a bevy of Superstars. So, let’s take a look at what the AFC South has to offer.

I’m new at photoshop, so let’s hope I get better on that picture before next week.

Do the Jaguars have a Superstar?

I remember watching Natrone Means as a little kid and thinking he was the coolest guy ever, mostly due to his tinted visor. Thus began a love-fest for me with the Jaguars and runningbacks. Means passed the proverbial torch into the hands of  James Stewart who, despite setting records, could only last so long when Fred Taylor became the Jaguars first pick of the 1998 NFL Draft. Fred Taylor embodied the term Superstar whenever he played. Unfortunately the “whenever he played” part was the issue. Taylor would go on to miss 35 games in his 11 seasons with the Jaguars, sadly ending after the 2008 season.

In 2006, the Jaguars selected an under-the-radar back that lacked height. Thrilled was not the most popular reaction. Maurice Jones-Drew is now an icon in Jacksonville. Jones-Drew teamed with Taylor to produce one of the NFL’s best running tandems for their 3-year span. In his rookie season, Jones-Drew finished with 941 yards rushing. Combine that with the 1,146 yards that Taylor put up and you get exposure. The Jaguars were all over ESPN, NFLN and anything else you could watch. That team had a face and it looked like an angry team that would punch you in the mouth, laugh, and then run through you. We were blessed with two Superstars to watch and had an identity worth bragging about. Jones-Drew, as I’m sure you know, remains as the lone Superstar on the team and he is the only reason the Jaguars stay relevant. That is the impact of a Superstar. He is why we are able to somewhat convince ourselves we have a chance at watching the Jaguars go deep in the playoffs.

Let’s look at each team in the division and find the main Superstars and give them a rating. 5 stars is a full-blown Superstar, anything less shows the players that are close.