REBOWE NOT GOING TO ULL
December 20, 2017
Anthony Pitre
December 20, 2017
Just after 10 a.m. before Sunday’s game between the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints, Houma native Elijah McGuire was in shorts and a t-shirt on the Superdome turf, working to get loose.
About two hours later, McGuire was in full uniform standing at the 50-yard-line – representing his team for the coin toss as a captain.
McGuire returned to Louisiana to play against the Saints for the first time in his career on Sunday – the continuation of a living dream come true for the Vandebilt and UL-Lafayette graduate who is now and NFL halfback.
McGuire played sparingly in the game, recording 4 carries for 24 yards and 3 catches for 48 yards, including a two-yard touchdown grab late in the game.
The Jets lost 31-19 falling to 5-9 on the season.
But for McGuire, while the outcome and season haven’t been ideal, he said he’s just pleased to be living out his dream – one day at a time as an NFL player.
“Everything has been great,” McGuire said earlier this season. “The older guys on the team have helped me adjust and the organization has been very good. It’s just such a blessing. It’s one of those things that’s hard into words, because it all just feels so good.”
For McGuire, Sunday’s game was a homecoming – the first of his professional career.
It was also a showcase of what he could do against one of the elite teams in the NFL.
McGuire is in a timeshare, which is a sports term meaning simply that there are other good players who play the same position.
He shares time with veterans Matt Forte and Bilal Powell, who are established veterans and proven players.
But when McGuire gets time on the field, he’s shown an ability to help the team out – in all facets of the game.
On one of the Jets’ early possessions, McGuire picked up a blitz and walloped a defender, which allowed young quarterback Bryce Petty the time to complete a short pass for a first down.
As a ball carrier, McGuire got limited opportunities, but was efficient, averaging six yards per carry and picking up first downs on two of his four runs.
Jets coach Todd Bowles said earlier this season that he likes the way McGuire runs and his shifty approach in the open field makes him a valuable commodity on tosses, sweeps and shotgun runs – all things that are becoming far more common in today’s NFL.
“He’s a tough kid,” Bowles said earlier this season. “He runs the football well and he’s willing to learn. He’s always trying to do things to help our football team.”
Some of that extra work involves being a sponge, listening to Forte and Powell’s teachings. McGuire said those guys have served as his big brothers throughout the season and he’s really enjoyed learning from under their wings.
“They’re taking me under their wings and telling me the do’s and the don’ts and the rights and the wrongs,” McGuire said of his new mentors at the NFL level. “The things I don’t know, I ask questions about and they got me in the right direction.”
But at times, McGuire shows the ability to soar on his own.
Against New Orleans, he was a big-time weapon in the passing game – showing off route running and hands which will likely allow him to have high-end longevity in the league.
In the second half, McGuire caught a 38-yard pass down the sideline, looking the football in over his shoulder, catching it and still having the presence of mind to get two feet in bounds to complete the catch.
In the fourth quarter and with the Jets trying to battle back, McGuire slipped loose from the defense and caught a pass and snuck into the end zone, which gave the Jets hope for a comeback.
But New Orleans recorded an onsides kick, then Mark Ingram broke free for a late touchdown, which sealed the Jets’ fate.
McGuire said his goals are to continue getting better so that he can become a three-down back for the Jets in the future.
Both Forte and Powell are ahead of him on the depth chart right now, but neither player is certain to be with the team next season.
McGuire said his goals are to get through this season healthy, then continue to get bigger, faster and stronger in the offseason so that he can have an even bigger impact next year.
McGuire said the season and the entire process of being an NFL running back have been everything he imagined it would be, adding that he wants to encourage all local young players to continue chasing their dreams and find ways to put in the work and effort to continue getting better.
“I just want to keep going forward,” McGuire said. “I got here and that’s a blessing, but I want to keep getting better and keep trying to make the most out of it.” •
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