Over the summer we had a no-holds-barred debate whether Justin Hunter would Make the Leap or be relegated to Just Another Guy status.
After Tennessee Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt called out the receiver during a film session for a route mistake in Saturday's preseason opener -- a 20-16 victory over the Green Bay Packers -- Hunter was greeted with a new nameplate on his practice jersey: "J A G".
"The receivers have been talking about that for a minute, since last year, just playing around," Hunter said Monday, per TitansInsider. "But then Coach Whis said something about it in a meeting. I didn't convert a route and do what I was supposed to do, and he called me out in the meeting and said, 'Justin, you can be a great player, but after that play, you look like 'Just Another Guy.'"
Receivers coach Shawn Jefferson -- who heaped heavy praise on the wideout this offseason, but is known to ride the young receiver -- decided to change the name on Hunter's jersey to "J A G" to help provide motivation.
"Jeff, he has no remorse for me. He holds me to the highest standard, so he asked them to put it on my jersey. He told (equipment manager) Matt (Thornton). I've had it for two days now," Hunter said.
Hunter made some spectacular plays as a rookie but struggled mightily with consistency as a boom-or-bust player. It's a battle many young players fight and something Hunter will have to improve upon if he wants to shed the "J.A.G." label for good.
*The latest Around The League Podcast highlights the winners and losers from the first week of preseason action. *
