The Jacksonville Jaguars had quite a productive weekend after they utilized all 12 of their 2020 NFL Draft selections and will look to build a new nucleus after dismantling their roster to reallocate their salary situation. Amongst the picks made was that of Jacksonville native Shaq Quarterman, whose dream came true the moment he picked up Saturday’s call from general manager Dave Caldwell.
After things settled down in the Quarterman household, Shaq took some time out to discuss the grand opportunity ahead of him and explained just how much of an honor it was to play for his hometown team.
“It’s an awesome blessing to play for any team in a National Football League, but being able to stay home is just a different feeling. It’s a very different feeling” Quarterman said. “I’m just so happy that I had the opportunity to do it because, to be honest, most people don’t get the chance to do that. Repping the brand has always been a thing for me, especially Jacksonville with that 904. I’ve been throwing my fours up since I got to college. So I’m excited.”
Quarterman was a super-productive leader for the Hurricane’s defense, taking the field dating back to his time as a freshman. In fact, he proved to be an ironman for them, playing in every game of his four years there. By the time he wrapped up his college career in Miami, he totaled a whopping 356 tackles (46.5 of which were for loss) and 12 sacks.
When considering his stat-line, leadership skills, and the Jags’ struggles to stop the run, the pairing makes a ton of sense. Sure, with Myles Jack and Joe Schobert holding down things within the linebacking group, Quarterman won’t be asked to do a lot immediately, but if brought along properly, he can be a big-time contributor on defense. He also could be a great asset as a reserve in 2020 as Jack battled injuries in 2019 and was placed on injured reserve (knee).
Of course, Quarterman should also get a lot of snaps on special teams and it should be fun to watch him lay some bone-chilling hits for Joe DeCamillis’ group. Regardless of where it is that he’s making an impact though, fans will be certainly rooting for him this summer and fall as he looks to start making his imprint and stick around as a hometown favorite.