Aaron Rodgers was anticipated to be a protagonist of the New York Jets in their week 1 game, but Xavier Gipson unexpectedly moonlighted as a hero instead. A hush fell over the Jets fans when their starting quarterback sustained an injury at the initial moment of the match.
However, the Gang Green squad made their fans feel a little bit light-hearted after clinching a phenomenal victory over the Buffalo Bills. A-Rod’s injury update will keep fans worried till some good news hits the headlines. Nevertheless, a victory against their division rivals in the first match and the incredible athleticism of the young stars of the team signal a potential playoff run this season.
Who is the Jets’ undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson?
Xavier Gipson is a two-star recruit out of high school who was set to play at the cornerback spot at Southern Methodist University. However, he later changed his decision to play wide receiver at Stephen F. Austin State University and played four seasons with them.
During this tenure, the WR established himself as a reliable troop in the squad by tallying 243 receptions, 4,305 receiving yards alongside 37 touchdown receptions. He recorded 9 rushing attempts for 71 yards last season in college, while returning 12 punts this year for 300 yards along with a pair of touchdowns.
Gipson was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons as a junior and senior, before going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He later agreed to terms with the Jets as an undrafted free agent and made a spot for himself in team. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” earlier revealed his overwhelming response after securing a spot in the 53-man squad following the final roster cut in August.
The rookie star stuck to his decision to be a punt return specialist and said he would put his best effort into displaying his full potential on the field.
Xavier Gipson’s walk-off punt return TD pushes Jets to OT victory vs. Bulls
Xavier Gipson proved his caliber in the Jets squad by taking a 65-yard punt return to the home to steal the match from the Bills’ before forcing his rivals to punt on the first possession of the extra period. His walk-off punt return in extra time was just the third in the history of the league, joining Patrick Peterson (2011) and Tamarick Vanover (1995), per ESPN States & Info.
After leading Gang Green in a crucial time, the young star couldn’t contain his happiness, and said it was like a dream for him. However, the Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh doesn’t think that way. Instead, he said the 22-year-old was projected to be a big star on the field, and every person in the locker room had sensed it earlier.
“I’m going to speak for our entire locker room and say we knew he was gonna get one today. We just had a feeling. That kid is electric with the ball in his hands. If I’m a team, I’m not kicking to him. But let him keep proving it. I think none of us in the locker room are surprised that he took one.”
The Gang Green squad is going to face off against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, September 18. Do you think that they would be able to keep up their stellar performance against the Cowboys as well? Let’s have a discussion in the comment section.
