Hello, welcome to the Jaguars UK newsletter, and greetings from sunny Jacksonville!
First and foremost, let’s talk about free agency. Very exciting moves by the Jaguars. We’ve picked up Defensive Lineman, Arik Armstead, Cornerback, Ronald Darby, Wide Receiver Gabe Davis, Returner/Wide Receiver Devin Duvernay, Outside Linebacker Trevis Gipson, Center Mitch Morse, Safety Darnell Savage, and Kicker, Joey Slye are all great additions and things are looking bright here in Jax. You can keep up to date on all roster movements by following this link.
I came over with some of the UK team to talk all things Jaguars UK with the staff in the US to make sure we are aligned with our plans for an exciting 2024.
It’s been a really productive trip so far and it’s great to be part of the action here at EverBank field, and the ever-impressive Miller Electric Centre. Hopefully you’ve been keeping track of our visit on the Jaguars UK social channels, so you feel part of being in Jax with us!
There have been a few things going on over the last month to update on, and I’m very proud to say that we have now launched the Gridiron Grant scholarship programme, so make sure you let all of your family and friends know that we are now accepting entries for this unique award which you can hear more about by watching this video.
We filmed the video last month at LGT’s offices in London and it was great to speak with Paul Nixon who is so passionate about the difference this award can make to the lives of young people and was the driving force behind the initiative which launched in 2018. It was also great catching up with Paris and Miles, last year’s recipients, who are really enjoying life in further education and epitomise exactly what this grant is all about. As I mentioned in the film, this grant is not just about further education, it also applies to those who want to apply for vocational training, so all applications will be considered.
In Jacksonville, we met with our US colleagues to connect on plans for our 2024 NFL Draft Event, and our live pick (watch this space for more information), and the Summer Player Tour. We know there are players who are excited to come over to the UK and Ireland to meet the fans and take part in our community activity. The Summer Tour has become so successful for us, we have players actually requesting to come, so the fans and the great experiences our players have, are the talk of the locker room!
You may have seen recently that we introduced a competition to name the new podcast that we are launching, and I’m delighted to say we have had an amazing response! The best thing about all the great names that were submitted, was that we can see how engaged you all are with this project and that it’s going to receive great support. This is something we are producing for you, and the first episode is going to air around the 2024 NFL Draft weekend. This inaugural show will cover our draft picks, with expert and editorial analysis. Looking at not only our picks, but picks across the League, especially teams within our division. The podcast will then air monthly as we build up to the season when we then have weekly shows to break down the games. We’re so excited to be the first team in the UK to launch a podcast and can’t wait to get your input.
We put all the names to a vote and gave the final say to the players who we met up with in Jax, and they decided on TEAL TALK as the name. Congratulations to the winner Ruth Keat who’ll be receiving a great prize, not to mention the kudos of naming the pod.
I also want to congratulate Captain Duuval on being announced as our International Fan of the Year. He met all the criteria that the League set out for this competition, and when we met him, we learned more about his fandom of the Jags and all the great work he is trying to do to support American football in the UK. We are happy that he will represent us in Detroit for the 2024 NFL Draft. Thanks also to Tony Boselli and our partners at Wembley for helping us with the surprise.
So, as you see lots going on across the pond, with exciting things upcoming for 2024. The season might seem a long way off, but if you stay with us and stay tuned across all our channels, we’ll make sure that you get your fix of all things Jaguars, and the season will be here in no time!
Until next time,
#ItWasAlwaysTheJags!
Maria Gigante
Vice President of UK Operations.
