WATCH: Former Gators receiver Van Jefferson records first NFL touchdown

Watch as Jefferson, who plays for the Los Angeles Rams, scored a vital touchdown in his team’s winning effort on Monday evening.

Wide receiver Van Jefferson, who was a Florida Gator during his redshirt junior and senior years, recorded his first NFL touchdown on Monday evening.

Jefferson, who became the Los Angeles Rams‘ second-round draftee in April, hasn’t been a big part of the Los Angeles offense so far this season. He’s averaged just 1.7 targets per game in 2020 and completed ten of those pass attempts. However, his lone target of the Week 11 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came in a big moment as he reeled in a game-tying pass with less than five minutes left before halftime.

Jefferson has never shied away from physical gameplay, which makes him a natural target in the red zone. His willingness to play tough obviously paid dividends for the Rams in this game, as he launched himself into the end zone backward to ensure he would cross the plane before being brought to the ground.

Hopefully, this serves as a precursor to increased involvement in the Los Angeles passing attack for Jefferson. Rams quarterback Jared Goff has understandably divided most of his first looks between other pass-catching options; Jefferson has to compete with a strong receiving corps of Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds, and Tyler Higbee for targets.

On the other hand, the Rams invested a relatively valuable pick in the Gators’ former wideout and undoubtedly have plans to integrate him more fully into their offense sooner than later. This touchdown will presumably be the first of many in his professional career.

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