It wasn’t long ago that Andrew “Dewey” Wingard was a relatively unpopular player among Jacksonville Jaguars fans.
The 2019 undrafted signee worked his way into the Jaguars’ defensive lineup and was a full-time starter in 2021, despite the team drafting Andre Cisco in the third round earlier that year. He struggled, at times, in that role, but found much more success in 2022 as a core special teamer and a rotational player in the secondary.
Now Wingard is a fan favorite, due in part to his resurgent season last year, but especially because of his enthusiasm and energy. He’s also set to be a team captain in 2023 after his Jaguars teammates voted him as the leader of the special teams unit.
“It speaks volumes for him, personally,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters Wednesday. “He’s been with this team through the early days and not so good days. Now, to being a captain, it just shows his growth and his maturity and where he’s come as a player with this team.
“You see it every year, there’s always those one or two guys that just emerge as leaders. Whether they’re voted captains or not, they’re still great men and great leaders of your football team. Dewey has done some really good things to be in this position, he’s worked hard, he’s excited for himself, he’s excited for our team and this season. I’m excited for him as a captain of our team.”
Wingard, 26, received a 79.9 defensive grade from PFF last season, fourth highest on the team among players who played more than two snaps per game. He also had a 72.5 grade on special teams.
In four NFL seasons, Wingard has four interceptions, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and seven tackles for loss.
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