Tag: patience

ALLEN PARK — From the way the coaching staff speaks about his work ethic to how his teammates engage with him in the locker room, it’s evident that Jermar Jefferson is highly regarded within the Detroit Lions organization.

A seventh-round pick by the Lions in 2021, Jefferson has remained with the organization since then — albeit mainly on the practice squad — despite changes to the Lions’ running back room over the past few seasons.

His inactivity changed last Sunday against the Chicago Bears. With David Montgomery sidelined by an MCL injury, the fourth-year back was promoted to the active roster for backfield depth, seeing his first regular-season action since his rookie year.

“It felt great. It’s been a while,” Jefferson told MLive. “I remember coming out there telling ‘em like, ‘Man, I’m back!’ My energy, and I was just full of excitement just to be back on the field.

“I’ve been excited. I was excited for the (Bears) game before I stepped on the field … hopefully I put on some good film.”

Against the Bears, Jefferson had a solid performance in limited play, showcasing his versatility. Jefferson saw 19 snaps between offense and special teams. He ended the day with three carries for 13 yards and one catch for 10 yards.

While he hasn’t been in Detroit with Jefferson the entire time, Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery compared Jefferson to a heavyweight boxer waiting on his opportunity when discussing the team’s depth at the position. Montgomery praised Jefferson’s work ethic earlier in the week and shared with MLive that he was pleased with what he saw from him once he got his chance to play.

“The things that we’ve seen to this point, I mean, we’re really pleased. We think that he’s an all-purpose guy,” Montgomery said. “We can run him, of course, we can throw the ball to him out of the backfield, but the biggest thing is he hasn’t had a lot of reps with our starting unit. But when he gets in there, and he doesn’t miss a beat, man.

“So that’s a big deal when a guy can not have a lot of reps, come in, understand protection, understand the run game. But he’s been doing this thing for a long time, so we weren’t surprised at all.”

The words Montgomery uttered about Jefferson are all the 24-year-old Los Angeles native wanted. He didn’t care where the Lions placed him or how he was used. For him, he just knew in his heart that he belonged on the field.

And his faith never wavered that he’d one day get to showcase his skill set again in a Lions uniform.

“I just had to stay patient. I prayed,” Jefferson said. “I’m very close with God, so I just kept coming in here, kept coming to work, putting my head down, and getting to work, just waiting patiently. That’s what I learned throughout this whole process these past three years — patience is key.”

Carrying that mindset presented some challenges that Jefferson had to deal with, as not seeing the field wasn’t easy. Along with having a strong and devout faith in a higher power, Jefferson leaned on a solid support system.

For starters, his family was in his corner, sharing, “They’re the ones keeping me sane.” He spoke with his mother, Tracy Green, regularly and his father, Herb Jefferson — who played football at Sonoma State — daily.

But another tool at Jefferson’s disposal, one that some players aren’t customarily forthcoming about, was therapy. He shared that during his first two years with the Lions, he’d meet with the team psychologist, Dr. Michelle Garvin, at least twice a week.

“I was real close with Dr. Garvin. I used to meet with her a lot and just talk about on-the-field and off-the-field stuff,” Jefferson said. “I feel like she helped me mentally throughout that whole process.

“And just past coaches that used to be here like Duce (Staley)— and Scottie too — helped a lot. I still talk to my college coach (Michael Pitre) right now, the running backs coach on the (Atlanta) Falcons. So I talk to him a lot, and he just says, ‘Stay patient and be ready whenever that opportunity comes.’”

While preparing for the opportunity, Jefferson buckled down on learning all the intricacies of the Lions’ offense, from the passing game to pass protection, not just running the way Staley or Montgomery desired from him. Knowing that the Lions coaching staff preaches a “next man up” mentality, Jefferson took his practice reps seriously.

The work that he’s put in over the four years will have another chance to be on display when the Lions face the 49ers in a rematch of last season’s NFC title game. With Montgomery still out of action, it’s expected that Jefferson will see snaps — along with Craig Reynolds — to ease the burden on starter Jahmyr Gibbs.

“I’m very amped for that game,” Jefferson said. “Monday night, my first time playing in a prime-time game, so that’s (gonna) be exciting. Just know I’m going to have the most positive energy on Monday night.”

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