Jay Higgins IV on His Unique Journey to Make the 53-Man Roster | Baltimore Ravens

Jay Higgins IV on His Unique Journey to Make the 53-Man Roster | Baltimore Ravens

Pretty good. Pretty good. Jay, you kind of doubled over in Eric’s office for a minute. I think you needed a minute. What What was sort of the uh physical sensations you were going through? Yeah, lightheaded. Lightheaded for sure. Um I was sitting at lunch, uh actually sitting next to Jake and uh Linderbomb and um you know, I was eating my meal and they, you know, got tapped on the shoulder. Um, and as I was walking down the down the hall, I just felt my heart rate keep rising and rising, came up the steps, uh, walked in the office, and then saw Eric, and it really start really start beating. Um, and so I was just just lightheaded when he when he told me, I was I was so so surprised. Um, you know, I knew there were so many talented players, uh, you know, on the on the roster and, you know, we we got a lot of those guys back on the the practice squad. Um, and so I it was just, you know, the numbers for me. Uh, so when he when he told me, I was just, you know, really surprised. Um, I mean the here your hear your dream come true. Uh, and you’re standing up. I guess my my legs were locked out. So I should have had a a slight bend in the knee. So I did that wrong. Have you been able to watch the the video? Yeah, I actually actually did. Um, I get a little cringey when I like see myself. Uh, you know, so I I try not to, but uh my my parents sent it in the family group chat. Uh, I don’t know how cuz none of them are on Instagram, so it must have been on Twitter. Uh, uh, they sent it to me. Um, you know, and I I just had to watch it. And then, uh, Coach Sanuchi actually played it in the linebacker room, uh, this morning with all the guys. Um, and we, you know, we’re just, we were celebrating everybody, Ruben and Key as well. Um, you know, just to see the surprise in our face and, you know, just just how happy we were. And I think the coolest part was just like the family’s response uh to to what happened and, you know, it’s kind of it’s kind of community success. I felt like the whole family won that day. So, did you feel Zach or had a particular appreciation for the journey that you were trying to make and that he was also an undrafted linebacker? Yeah. Yeah. I remember um you know talking to my agent uh sixth round actually uh and he he he called and he was like you know there there’s a couple picks left uh but we need to start making a list of where you want to go. Uh and he he mentioned that you know the the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens was an undrafted linebacker. um you know that that I I knew that you know it wasn’t going to be enough that connection wasn’t going to be enough to just get me on a Super Bowl win a Super Bowl ready team. Um but I I I knew that if if you go to Baltimore, you play hard, uh play physical, um you know, they they respect their linebackers, so I felt like this was a good fit for me. Uh you know, just coming from Iowa, um the the programs and what they stand for, I think they’re similar. So, I I felt comfortable coming here uh knowing I have to, you know, keep my head down and work and show up every day. Um and then, you know, when there’s special connections like that, you kind of, you know, got to use them to your advantage. Jay, we saw that Roan took all you guys out for dinner. Um I guess can you speak to the closeness of that group and what it’s been like to be in a group led by Roon Smith? Yeah, definitely. Um, obviously when I when I got here for rookie mini camp, I just remember cuz those guys aren’t even here yet, but I just remember seeing his name in front of his locker. Um, and then you look down two more lockers, it’s Lamar Jackson. You look down the other locker, it’s Derrick Henry. Uh, and so it’s like you’re quickly like fanned out because you’re like these these Pro Bowl players that you were literally watching on TV three months ago. Uh, now you’re you’re in the same locker room as those guys. Um, you know, and as as OTAAS gets going and the longer you here and the more workouts you put under your belt, the more comfortable you you start to feel. Um, but obviously just respect for him as a player. Um, you know, just just turn on his tape and it’s obvious how how good he is. Uh, but when when you start getting to the the linebacker meeting room, uh, you see how he, you know, diagnoses plays, how he triggers on certain things, how he views the game, uh, you start to see how he separates himself. Uh, you know, and I think the the coolest thing about Rocoin, who he is off the field. Uh, I think he’s done a great job of there’s football Roquan and then there’s Rocoan Smith, the human being. Um, and I think every football player has got to have that balance and he he does a great job. Um, and just he he allows, you know, the rookies, anybody in the room access to both parts of his life. Uh, so just learning that from him. um you know, learning mental health and how important it is to to be okay off the field so you’re you’re best on the field. Um you know, it’s just been cool learning from him, getting closer with him. We see how expressive your dad is on social media and his support for you and Iowa and the I don’t know when he can do that. I mean, I promise he is he has been like that my entire life. My entire life. Like this. He was like that when I was playing AU basketball and the shorts were too big for me and my jersey was too big and my socks were pulled all the way up and there was a rim on top of the rim so they could we could shoot at the lower rim. Um he he’s been like that my entire life. Like there there’s no there’s no camera or platform that made him like that. Um and it was it was funny cuz the day I got to Iowa he was like that. And I mean it took me three years to to be a starting linebacker there. Um but I was running down on kickoff and this you would have thought I was the buckus winner. Uh when he was you know just his presence on social media. Uh so when he when he says he’s he’s my biggest fan, my biggest supporter. He he means that from day one. Well part two. I mean we saw a little bit of that phone call in the video and it looked like he wanted you to call him back. What was that like just kind of luxuriating in that moment with your dad? Yeah. Um, when it when it comes to when it comes to my family and anything to do with success, my my dad’s uh super emotional. He he’s a family guy. Like he he he lives off me and my sister. Um, and anything we do, he’s he’s willing to support it. I mean, I could I could tell him I’m I’m trying to do anything. I I you know, my dreams are anything. Um, him and my my mom, they’re willing to support, you know, uh, anything. And just to see um you know where my my football career has gone and then just like these these last couple of months of my my football career have taken like a drop and it’s like I was doing really good in college and you know everything was good. Uh then you know the the combine came around and the draft came around. Um and it was kind of hard on me because I was like I I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Um, but to to see him not waver, uh, I think that’s why you you saw some of that emotion on the phone call. Uh, cuz for me, it’s hard to say like I knew this would happen. Like I knew everything would work out. Um, you know, I was having real conversations with myself after the draft if football’s in my future, if I need to go do something else. Uh, but if you would ask him after the draft, he he knew this day was going to happen. Uh, so just knowing I got a I got a a father like that in my my corner. Um, I think that’s that’s what the video showed. Are you used to being underestimated or has been a little bit of your experience? No, my my career’s got uh it’s got loops. It like cycles around. Um um you know, recruited not not really recruited out of out of high school. Um from Indianapolis, Indiana. Um didn’t get a IU offer, didn’t get a Purdue offer. Um you know, that that means a lot from a from a Indianapolis football player. Um, I mean, I’m 40 minutes from, you know, those campuses. Uh, and so Iowa was my my first Big 10 offer. Um, go to Iowa, sit for three years, uh, you know, true junior, uh, watching other people play. Um, you know, then I I play, I do everything I possibly can do, and, you know, people tell you it’s not enough. So, um, you know, all I all I can do is focus on me. Uh, focus on, uh, you know, running the ball, tackling the ball, and, uh, getting better every day, and usually things tend to work themselves out. One more, please. I’m curious. Zack or talked about how a lot of college linebackers these days are like athletes who get moved to linebacker late in their career. You You’ve just been a linebacker. How How do you think that that got you to this point? And what does being an inside linebacker mean to you? Yeah. Um, yeah. I I think the the game’s changed. I mean, dudes are dudes are athletic. I mean, you can you can get a 6’4 guy who’s 225 now and he used to play safety. Um, and I think that’s just a testament to, you know, guys getting bigger, faster, stronger every year. Um, but I mean, I I think I think the games won and the X’s and O’s. Um, you know, I’m not the biggest guy. I’m obviously not the fastest guy. Um, but I think there there’s a feel for inside zone. like there’s a feel for pinpull like you you got to like feel those things and maybe it’s because I went to Iowa and I I played with a I seen a fullback and you know Linder Bomb and you know big guards for five years but there’s something about like just feeling the offensive line and who they’re working up to and when that guard’s pulling like you you don’t you just like gota you got to feel those things and it’s cool cuz Rocoan talks like that like he can’t really explain why he did what he did every single time, but he has a really good feel of what’s going to happen and what how the play’s going to develop. And I think that’s that’s what makes a a good linebacker. All right. Appreciate it. Thank you. Congratulations.

Inside linebacker Jay Higgins IV on feeling lightheaded hearing he made the 53-man roster, sharing the moment with his dad and more.

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