I think "leadership" is one of those overused cliches to explain some of the unexplainable in football-like why teams succeed or don't succeed.

 

People who aren't privy to what transpires in a locker room often cite leadership as a player's or team's strength or weakness.

 

However, at the risk of describing myself with the above, the article on the front page seems to describe that ideal with an account that absolutely made me smile, and illustrates one of the reasons cited for signing Bryant.

 

http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-Edit...90a602b842

 

In relevant part...

 

 

First, defensive end <a class="" href='http://www.jaguars.com/team/roster/red-bryant/f1cbd9a0-c3d1-41ef-8e54-b6e382296e21/' title="Red Bryant">Red Bryant</a> stopped practice, and did so after a play that the defensive end later said didn’t live up his standards, or the standards of the defense.

It was a play that didn’t seem disastrous to the naked eye. Running back <a class="" href='http://www.jaguars.com/team/roster/jordan-todman/77924aaa-2e55-4747-9243-666ce033c244/' title="Jordan Todman">Jordan Todman</a> got outside the defense for a long run, and if nothing else happened the play may not even have made the “highlights” section of your average website/newspaper camp report.

But something else did happen. Bryant, who signed with the team as a free agent in the offseason, stopped practice and basically started the session over.

 

“Stopping the run is something I take pride in,” Bryant said. “I just felt like the first play I hurt the defense and set the tone for things going downhill. I wanted to call everybody up and tell them it wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t good enough for me, and I wanted to let the guys know it’s OK to hold me accountable.

“We’re counting on one another. That’s the difference between winning and losing, the little things. You have to hold each other accountable.”

 

Stop. Re-read that quote.  If you want to know why the Jaguars signed Bryant – aside from his 6-feet-4, 323-pound, run-stuffing frame – it’s in the quote. Leadership oozes from every word. Bryant, a captain on the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl championship team a year ago, said the Jaguars stacked up a bunch of good defensive practices last week, and that there was no reason to stop stacking just because of lack of focus on one play.

Given the choice to speak up or not to speak up …

Well, Bryant didn’t see it as a choice at all.

“We have to take care of it … right now,” Bryant said. “We can’t say, ‘We’re going to do it the next day.’ One thing I’ve learned is, ‘Tomorrow never comes.’ You have to work on the now.”

 

I sure hope the young guys -and the vets-learn from this.  I have to think over time, this team will apply this lesson and learn to win-consistently.

 

 

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

This is one of the main reasons I was thrilled with the team signing Bryant. This is a young team overall and having a veteran like Bryant and his leadership qualities is important. This team has a lot of growing to do all around and having guys like Bryant can help that. He's a guy that has certain qualities you can't teach. I know, they didn't sign him to be a coach and blah blah blah but things like that matter at this point in a teams development. You need strong, respected veterans that know what it takes to be successful in the NFL when you have a roster full of new and young players. This was why I considered him to be my favorite signing thus far.

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I read that Henne took a page from this book and did the same thing with the offense today too. It's awesome. The young guys need to learn from others who have had success what is acceptable and what is not.


"Find someone who has what you want and copy what they did" these guys won a Super Bowl (obviously not Henne). They know what they're talking about.

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IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

I'm big on having a few veteran leaders.  Not even going after players like Brian Dawkins and others was just another weakness of the prior regime.

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Accountability breeds accountability

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A good loser is a good loser

@ryanohalloran: 1. DE Red Bryant had some scheduled days off built in, but instead has practiced every day.


Boss.

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Big Red is already one of my favourite players, exactly the kind of person I want to root for no matter which team he is on. The fact he's a Jaguar just makes it better!

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Big Red is already one of my favourite players, exactly the kind of person I want to root for no matter which team he is on. The fact he's a Jaguar just makes it better!

Yep. It's been a while since we've had this kind of leader on defense... Maybe since Mike Petersen.


Poz and Mathis always seemed to be more of lead by example types.

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Yep. It's been a while since we've had this kind of leader on defense... Maybe since Mike Petersen.

Poz and Mathis always seemed to be more of lead by example types.

You may hv just cracked the code of the poor defensive play in the past! They were using Mathis's play as an example.

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You may hv just cracked the code of the poor defensive play in the past! They were using Mathis's play as an example.

 

You must be new here.

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Fans never see how much a vet does for the young guys. It's the off camara stuff that we never see where a vet player shows them how to do this or that, stay out of trouble etc. Agree with the comments on Clemons and Red.

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You must be new here.

Born 1977, and I'm new! You're just learning about this franchise son.

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Big fan of Big Red

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Born 1977, and I'm new! You're just learning about this franchise son.

well you should know Mathis was probably the best to second best corner we've ever had.

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Big fan of Big Red

He is a MONSTER in person.

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well you should know Mathis was probably the best to second best corner we've ever had.

Best corner hands down.

<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MathRa99.htm'>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MathRa99.htm</a>


He is the only Jaguars CB to make All-Pro and Pro Bowl while a Jaguar.


Not Aaron Beasley...

<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeasAa20.htm'>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeasAa20.htm</a>


Not Fernando Bryant...

<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BryaFe20.htm'>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BryaFe20.htm</a>


Not Derek Cox, Dewayne Washington, Mickey Washington or Brian Williams.


He has more career starts, INTS and TDs as a Jaguar than any other DB in team history.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

@ryanohalloran: 1. DE Red Bryant had some scheduled days off built in, but instead has practiced every day.

Boss.

I hope Bryant has a good long stay here.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I went to NFL shop to look for Reds jersey, it's not there but hey our long snapper is there

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A good loser is a good loser

“We’re counting on one another. That’s the difference between winning and losing, the little things. You have to hold each other accountable.”

 

Nice quote but action speaks louder than words.

What worries me beside the injuries to promising talented players, is that so many mistakes are being made a few days before the first preseason game.  I would rather all the mistakes come out and get addressed during preseason though.

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Best corner hands down.

<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MathRa99.htm'>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MathRa99.htm</a>


He is the only Jaguars CB to make All-Pro and Pro Bowl while a Jaguar.


Not Aaron Beasley...

<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeasAa20.htm'>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeasAa20.htm</a>


Not Fernando Bryant...

<a class="bbc_url" href='http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BryaFe20.htm'>http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BryaFe20.htm</a>


Not Derek Cox, Dewayne Washington, Mickey Washington or Brian Williams.


He has more career starts, INTS and TDs as a Jaguar than any other DB in team history.

Mathis did have a tendency for the pick six. Especially against the Steelers.

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