{"id":136798,"date":"2025-06-17T11:01:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/136798\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T11:01:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:01:09","slug":"jets-lb-jamien-sherwood-excited-to-play-with-another-kid-from-auburn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/136798\/","title":{"rendered":"Jets LB Jamien Sherwood excited to play with \u2018another kid from Auburn\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Jets put two Auburn<\/a> alumni on the field during five games in the 2024 season. Linebacker Jamien Sherwood<\/a> collected an NFL-best 98 solo tackles while playing in all 17 games for the Jets. In five of those games, Anders Carlson <\/a>served as New York\u2019s kicker.<\/p>\n

This season, Sherwood could have an Auburn alumnus lining up right in front of him. In March, the Jets signed <\/a>defensive tackle Byron Cowar<\/a>t in free agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have another kid from Auburn, B.C., so, you know, that\u2019s exciting,\u201d Sherwood said<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Cowart and Sherwood did not play together for the Tigers. <\/p>\n

Cowart played at Auburn in 2015 and 2016 before being granted his release early in the 2017 season. Cowart cited <\/a>his lack of playing time and the health of his mother as the reasons he sought to leave the Tigers. He played at Maryland in the 2018 season. Cowart joined the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. <\/p>\n

Sherwood played at Auburn in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons before joining the Jets in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. <\/p>\n

\u201cI actually never met him until he got to the team,\u201d Sherwood said<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s a little bit older than me. But all I can say is he\u2019s a man amongst boys. You know, when he comes out to the practice field, his presence is felt. And I admire the way he works. I admire his leadership as well. And I\u2019m just excited for him. <\/p>\n

\u201cHaving the chance to play with somebody who went to Auburn, the same school as me, means something to me. It makes it seem like I made a good choice in going to that school. So, again, I\u2019m excited for him. He\u2019s a great dude, great guy, and I\u2019m glad he\u2019s on our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sherwood could have been a free agent this offseason, too. Instead, he signed a three-year, $45 million contract extension <\/a>with the Jets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just say it\u2019s just been a blessing,\u201d Sherwood said<\/a>. \u201cComing from college, being a safety, coming to the NFL, coming to the Jets organization, getting transitioned to linebacker, you don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. Being able to accomplish something as an extension, it\u2019s just been a blessing. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut none of that would have been possible without the people that I\u2019ve been around these last few years. Obviously, give all my credit to (linebackers) C.J. (Mosley<\/a>), Quincy (Williams<\/a>), my last coaching staff — Coach (Robert) Saleh, Brick (defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich), Rudy (linebackers coach Mike Rutenberg) — all for them just for believing in me and giving me an opportunity. <\/p>\n

\u201cTearing my Achilles my rookie year, them still believing in me and giving me a chance just because they saw my determination and how I handled the process of rehab and stuff like that. Getting my chance each year. My second year, maybe 20 plays total. Third year, moving into the little Sam linebacker spot and ultimately getting my chance to show what I can do. So again, it\u2019s just all been a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Injuries limited Mosley to four games in 2024, opening a spot in the lineup for Sherwood. When New York signed Sherwood to an extension, the Jets released Mosley, a former Alabama <\/a>All-American.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love C.J.,\u201d Sherwood said<\/a>. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t live too far. You know, we always get our hair done together, so whenever the hair lady comes to town, we get our hair done. I actually just texted him just to check up on him because, again, without him, this process for me would not be possible. From the day I got here, he just poured into us. He let us know everything, and I miss having him in the room. There\u2019s definitely a hole in the wall without him. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut, again, I check up on him just to make sure everything\u2019s good with him. Again, he\u2019s my brother from another mother, and, you know, I love him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jets haven\u2019t been to the playoffs since 2010 and posted a 5-12 record in 2024. Former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is preparing for his first season as New York\u2019s coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time we got our chance to speak to each other, I felt like we hit it off,\u201d Sherwood said<\/a>. \u201cThe connection was there. Same thing with our new linebacker coach, our new defense coordinator, and all the other coaches. But again, it\u2019s just about buying in. And you can\u2019t do that unless you get everybody around you to change the culture, to create a standard. Everybody has to agree with it. It can\u2019t just be me. It can\u2019t just be them. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo by me signing that extension, they believed in me. One thing they asked of me to do is become a leader and help bring people along, help people buy in. So that\u2019s what I\u2019ve been trying to do this whole OTAs, this whole camp, and I feel like I\u2019ve done a good enough job at it. Obviously, we\u2019ve still got a ways to go, each from the free agency to the draft, mini-camp, all that. It\u2019s just a process, building blocks and stuff, but everything\u2019s coming together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Jets concluded their offseason program on Thursday. New York has not announced its schedule for training camp, which will start late next month. The Jets start their three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 9 against the Green Bay Packers. The regular season will kick off on Sept. 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say for me, I believe in the process,\u201d Sherwood said<\/a>. \u201cObviously, I can\u2019t tell you what tomorrow\u2019s going to bring or what it\u2019s going to look like. But what we\u2019ve been able to put on tape, what we\u2019ve been able to put together and create in this new foundation, to me, it looks good. I believe in all my teammates. I believe in myself. And again, I believe in our coaches. So I think we\u2019re going to put together a great game plan every week to go out there and compete and do what we have to do.\u201d <\/p>\n

FOR MORE OF AL.COM\u2019S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE<\/a><\/p>\n

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1<\/a>.<\/p>\n