It is not often that you hear the name of a former Red Fox in the pros. Even less often is their name on an All-Star roster. No longer, though. Jason Myers has flipped the script.
The former Marist kicker and current New York Jet was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster as the lone kicker during last night’s roster reveal: his first and the first representative for Marist in the NFL’s All-Star game equivalent. His 118 points rank fourth in the league and he has nailed 31-of-33 field goals this season, as of week 15. That number sits second in the Jets’ record book, only trailing Jim Turner’s 34 field goals made in 1968. In addition, his five field goals made from beyond 55-yards is a single-season league record.
Not only has Myers flipped the Marist script; he’s flipped the script that a lackluster career had previously written.
In an “In My Own Words” piece on the Jets’ team website, Myers wrote, “It’s been working well for me this year, but it’s been a very long road that’s taken me from Chula Vista, CA to Poughkeepsie, NY to the Arena Football League, San Diego, Mobile, Jacksonville, Seattle and now New York.” Cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars in late October of 2017, and then again by the Seattle Seahawks in August of this year, Myers’ third and perhaps final shot in the NFL came at the hands of Mike Maccagnan, Todd Bowles and the New York Jets. The green and white needed a place kicker. Myers answered the call.
In week six of the NFL season, Myers went seven-for-seven, making him one of eight players in league history to make at least seven field goals in a single game. He’s shattered records and expectations, and his career has flipped on its head.
That would be Jason Myers of Marist College, Mr. Costello https://t.co/GKzsCXWvMJ
— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) October 14, 2018
The Marist connection was not lost in his Pro-Bowl campaign. President David Yellen tweeted in support of Myers, and the school sent out an email to faculty and students asking for their vote. Who knows if a little school in Poughkeepsie made the difference?
The Pro Bowl will take place on January 27 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. and will be broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.
Edited by Lily Caffrey-Levine
Header Photo courtesy of newyorkjets.com