After some golf and boating in Colorado, Jags' Andrew Wingard is ready for some football
Andrew Wingard had a typical summer break in his home state of Colorado.
The Jaguars' fifth-year safety got some boat time. He worked out. He lowered his golf handicap to minus-8 and matched his career-best golf score with a 74 (admitting to a three-putt on the final hole).
“Hanging out with the fam … just enjoying life,” he said.
But mostly he kept an eye on the calendar for late July and the time to report to training camp.
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Between being able to utilize the amenities and resources in the Jaguars' spanking-new Miller Electric Center and wanting to justify the team’s faith when they signed him to a three-year, $9.6 million contract in March, Wingard was ready to get back in uniform.
“Guys like me and Tre [Herndon], who have been here and seen the dog years,” Wingard said about the new facility after the Jaguars’ first training camp session on Wednesday. “But you can't assume because we have fans and a new facility that we’re going to magically win football games. It doesn’t work like that. So we’ve got to keep our heads down and go to work.”
Wingard delivered 2022 battle cry
The Jaguars are coming off the best season during Wingard’s previous four years in the NFL, going 10-9, winning the AFC South title and winning a playoff game before coming up seven points and a few minutes short of beating Kansas City to reach the AFC title game.
Wingard, who signed as a free agent in 2019 when he went undrafted, played both safety positions and was once again a daredevil on special teams. He had a season-long battle with Caleb Johnson for the team lead in special-teams tackles (Johnson eventually beat him out, 16-14).
Although he started only three games, compared to 15 the year before, Wingard was still a vital part of the defense and one of the team’s emotional leaders – especially when he uttered a phrase that turned into the team’s battle cry for the 2022 season: “It was always the Jags!”
Wingard shouted that out after the team beat the Titans in Nashville 36-22 and it stuck. It was on T-Shirts, bumper stickers and homemade signs that fans brought to the games, and it rivaled “Duuuvalll!” for its ubiquitousness.
“It was a spur of the moment,” he said. “It started in the team meeting with [coach] Doug [Pederson] showing us that video about how Tennessee thinks they’re the big brother and stuff. That storyline carried over … it was always us … it was always the Jags. Don’t sleep on us.”
Wingard couldn’t get a trademark for the phrase, since he mentioned the word “Jags” in it. But he’s content with being its creator.
“It was awesome,” Wingard said. “You saw that run at the end of the year [going 6-2] and we built our identity on that. It was cool.”
But it’s also in the past.
“Complacency is a killer,” he said.
Fighting for his job, as usual
Wingard will be battling for playing time with rookie Antonio Johnson, a fifth-round draft pick from Texas A&M. That’s nothing new: The Jaguars have drafted a safety in three of Wingard’s four professional seasons, and he’s still here.
Wingard sings Johnson’s praises but neither is he free with his job.
“He’s a good kid, a great guy to be around,” Wingard said. “Good learner, good technique. He’s a good player and hopefully contributes for us.”
Wingard said his game plan during a training camp never deviates.
“I play my game,” Wingard said. “Go out and execute and I just want my results to speak for themselves.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Safety Andrew Wingard ready to justify the Jaguars' faith in him
