'On the Field, He's a Freak': How Calvin Ridley Has Already Impressed Jaguars Teammates
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley is quickly making friends in the building and is the recipient of multiple ringing endorsements.
One of which came from Jaguars franchise signal caller Trevor Lawrence. When asked about what it has been like to get to know and work with Ridley thus far, Lawrence beamed with excitement and made clear he was quickly impressed by how he handles himself on and off the field.
“He’s been awesome,” Lawrence said. “He’s hungry. He’s excited to be here. He’s got the right attitude. I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve noticed, then on the field, he’s a freak, just the way he runs routes, how explosive he is. He has great hands, seems like he’s picking stuff up.
"Obviously, we just started, but it seems like he’s picking it up pretty quickly. He has the experience, he’s played for a few years, so he’s used to having some new systems, and some stuff carries over through offenses. He’s been great. I’m just excited to have him be part of our room. It seems like he’s really gelling with the guys great. It’s not the hardest group to gel with. Christian (Kirk) and Zay (Jones), all those guys are awesome. I think they treat guys well, and they’ve brought him in. It's going really well. He seems super hungry and ready to go.”
Those sentiments were echoed by linebacker Foye Oluokun. The two spent time together with the Atlanta Falcons from 2018-2021, establishing a strong connection that has only grown stronger since the two reunited in Duval County.
“First he’s a good dude,” Oluokun said when asked what WR Calvin Ridley brings to the team. “Very respectful dude, I heard him talking about that, but he respects the game for sure. He’s going to come in and he puts that work in. Even with all the talent he has, he’s a hard worker.
"He came in and even during OTA’s he looked ready to go. I talked to some people running routes with him and they say he looked ready to go. I’m very excited for him and I hope he gets all the success he needs here because I definitely believe in all of his talent and ability. Obviously, he’s going to be a weapon for us on offense. Whenever he gets the ball, you know he can make a big play out of it. I’m excited to see what the offense does with him.”
As for Ridley, the welcoming nature that Jacksonville has offered him upon his arrival has not gone unnoticed.
“Yeah, me and Christian Kirk have been doing this since high school,” Ridley said when asked about having friends in the building. “I’ve been knowing Kirk, seeing him at all types of camps. Like I said, I played with Foye [Oluokun] in Atlanta, Big Cam [Robinson] and I were in Alabama," Ridley said.
"Everybody else in the building is being really respectful to me. I did make plays in this league, and I’ve been making plays throughout the course of my life. Guys respect me, I’m not a disrespectful person. I’m coming at everyone with respect and just trying to make my way around, meet everyone, know everyone’s name, and just get this thing going for me, personally.”
