Jeremy Mincey Has Character – It Shows

Jeremy Mincey’s character shines forth from the Jaguars defensive line like a ray of sunshine, illuminating the brilliance of the Jaguars strong character foundation as well as holes in the opponents’ offensive lines.  Mincey, the Jaguars sack leader in 2011 with eight, spoke strongly about his work ethic and commitment to leading the Jaguars defensive line to be a superior unit in the NFL.

According to Jaguars.com, Mincey addressed the contract extension he signed this year after testing free agency for a short period.  Mincey signed a four year $27.2 million contract a little over a month ago to stay with the Jaguars.  Mincey has finally blossomed into a dominant defensive end for the Jaguars, creating pressure not reflected in the sack numbers.  He says that his progressively better play is not due to a contract year or it will increase because of better pay over the next four years.

Mincey says that he would continue to play better and stronger even without the inspiration of more money.  He wants to play better and lead the other defensive ends into the season to become a stronger unit on the whole.  It’s a role he feels it is time for him to take on.  And he’d do it at a discount too!

"I’d take on that role if I was the lowest-paid guy."

Mincey is hoping that all of his hard work will have an impact on the other players.  He is hoping that it influences them, spreads through the rest of the team, and the entire organization rises to the occasion.  His character is going to buoy the defense and better play will develop as a result.

This is the type of leadership and progress that the franchise is developing through its strong emphasis on character.  Character guys may not always be the most productive.  They may not always be the most cost effective.  They also may not always be the best players on the field.  But as a group, men who buckle down and work for something above themselves help to raise the play of everyone and make the entire team greater than the sum of its parts.

The best teams in the league aren’t the best because of just a few players.  A few players, like Philip Rivers in San Diego for example, can help bring attention to a team with their superior team, but they do not always translate into wins.  Tom Brady can bring the Patriots to the Super Bowl, but even he can’t help the team to put down a familiar foe again.  It’s a rough go of it for teams that aren’t able to find the right guys to lead the locker room.

But the Jaguars aren’t just looking for the right guys to lead the locker room.

They are looking for the guys to fill the locker room.  Jeremy Mincey is a prime example of how the Jaguars are filling the locker room with high character guys that are going to translate better play onto the field.  Guys that want to play to win, not for the paycheck that is waiting for them but instead because it is in their blood.  It courses through their veins, boiling into a fury that is expressed on the gridiron. A fury, checked outside of sport, that binds them together in their quest for glory.

That glory is embodied by the hard working Mincey.  A player who worked his way into the limelight this past season and looks to do it again.  His strength, resolve, and hard work is a reflection of the high standards held by the franchise. He leads by example.

And that example is going to infect the team like a disease.

"That’s just who I am as a person. I’m going to work as hard as I can, and let the disease spread throughout the team – and I ain’t talking about the stomach flu."

Fortunately there are a lot of guys like Mincey on the Jaguars roster.

In Gene We Trust,

– Luke N. Sims

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