Academic Struggles Nearly Cost MN Vikings Superstar His Shine

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the better rosters across the entire National Football League. They have been elevated by a great coaching staff, and the team is positioned to make noise with new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Of course it doesn’t hurt anyone involved to have one of the most dynamic players on the planet as a teammate. Justin Jefferson is still early on in his career, but that hasn’t stopped him from shattering milestones as he continues to grow.

It wasn’t always easy for the talented wide receiver though. Despite the heights he has reached, the work has always been part of the journey.

Justin Jefferson overcame school to make grades

It’s not abnormal that an elite athlete doesn’t possess the same level of skills when it comes to academics. People display gifts in different ways, and athleticism doesn’t negate that fact. Justin Jefferson is among the best wide receivers to ever step on a football field, but Alec Lewis’ recent article for The Athletic highlights how no one wanted him.

Jefferson’s college recruitment process was fascinating. Only three Division I schools offered him a scholarship: Northwestern, Tulane and Nicholls State.

“I remember we were running track together his senior year,” JR Blood [high school quarterback] said. “I was, like, ‘What’s going on?’ He told me that he was doing all of this stuff to make grades.”

Ask anyone from those days, and they’ll tell you Jefferson never loved school. His grades limited his college options as much as anything else.

In [Greg, high school offensive coordinator] Boyne’s mind, Jefferson’s joy made the teachers want to help him qualify academically. But he often wonders: What if they hadn’t? What if Jefferson had gone the junior college route? Would he have committed enough to academics to find his way to a Division I program? And more broadly, how many talented kids with warm hearts aren’t able to find their way to a program loaded with resources like LSU? How many don’t have the chance to impact others the way that Jefferson ultimately has?

The Athletic

Jefferson’s storyline is not unlike others. Famously, Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones publicly announced he wasn’t at the university to ‘play school.’ The difference for Jefferson though, is that his personality drew those around him in. While school wasn’t his forte, his personality generated people in his corner.

It’s a good thing that it worked out that way for Jefferson as well. To what extent an elite collegiate athlete is in the classroom remains up for debate. At LSU though, Jefferson turned 34 games, across three seasons, into 2,415 yards, 24 touchdowns, and an eventual first round pick.

#Vikings Justin Jefferson on Scoop City tells us about his split personality.
There is Justin.
There is Jets.

There are also VERY big diamonds. 💎 pic.twitter.com/PYOP8kI673

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 17, 2024

At different points in his life Jefferson could have seen his life turning out vastly different. Now he’s coming off his fifth NFL season, one that he signed a record contract before, and staring at an opportunity to take his game even further.

Related: Vikings Superstar Happy to Save Adam Thielen

While he may not be evaluated by grades in a classroom any time soon, Jefferson continues to draw people in with an infectious personality. He teams up with veteran Adam Thielen again this year, and the two can help to kick J.J. McCarthy’s career off right.

Minnesota starts their regular season on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.