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Jacksonville Jaguars
Speed and strengthJacksonville’s air strike is perfectly balanced with Jimmy Smith the missile and Keenan McCardell the rocket.
By ERNEST HOOPER © St. Petersburg Times, published September 3, 1998
But in receivers Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith, Coughlin already has two interlocking pieces that make the picture look brighter even before the first snap of the season.
“I think you need that type of bond in order to play together,” Smith said. “There’s no jealousy. We just complement each other very well.” They are not two of a kind, but rather a yin and yang that give Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell a variety of options when he drops back to throw. In the 6-foot-1, 206-pound Smith, Brunell has a physical receiver who can shuck cornerbacks and get deep. McCardell also is 6-1, but at 184 pounds is a more elusive receiver adept at slashing across the middle. “I think my strength is one of my most valuable assets because I can take a defensive back and just set him to the side and run my routes,” Smith said. “On the other hand, I think Keenan, his strength is his quickness. He doesn’t physically have to touch a defensive back, he can just run circles around his guy and run routes.” Said McCardell: “It’s funny. We both want to make big plays, and it just so happens that his come more downfield and mine are more over the middle field. It seems to have worked out very well. You have two guys with different games and they just mesh.” One of the reasons Smith and McCardell’s styles mesh is because the share an appreciation for their place in the NFL. Smith was a Dallas second-round draft pick out of Jackson State in 1992, but was cut by the Cowboys after two injury-plagued seasons, and then failed to stick with Philadelphia in 1994. After a year out of football, he came to Jacksonville as a free agent in ’95 and found the redemption he sought — first as a kick returner, then as a starting receiver. “A lot of guys don’t get the opportunities I get,” Smith said. “I had my first chance at Dallas, I failed. I got my second chance at Philadelphia, I failed. . . .” “I was fortunate enough and blessed to get a third chance. Fortunately, I made the best of my opportunity. It wasn’t given to me, I had to go out and take it.” McCardell has a similar perspective. He came out of Nevada Las Vegas in 1991, and spent time with Washington, Cleveland and Chicago. His tenure with the Browns saw him yo-yo between the active roster and the practice squad for nearly two seasons, before shining in his first start in 1993. He left Cleveland as a free agent and came to Jacksonville in 1996. In two seasons with the Jaguars, he has led the team with 85 receptions each year. “Our big thing is we’ve both been out of football before and we keep reminding ourselves we can’t slack up. If we slack up, they’ll say “ahh, they’re satisfied with their success’ and there’ll be someone else trying to get our jobs. “Whenever one is not doing something, we just look at each other and we’ve got that look that says “hey, we gotta do better.’ We can’t do any slipping. We still look over our shoulder.” The quest for perfection doesn’t stop at catching passes. McCardell and Smith are meticulous dressers, requesting that their uniforms be just right. From the cut of the pants, to the fit of the gloves, to the position of the towel, nothing is left to chance. Off the field, the pair can be just as snazzy, but Smith concedes even he can’t keep up with McCardell. Known for designer suits, tailored blazers, crisp shirts and more than 150 uniquely-colored shoes (magenta, lavender and lime green), McCardell was named to Mr. Blackwell’s 1998 list of best-dressed athletes for being “smart, savvy and blessed with savoir faire.” McCardell said “That’s what my wife tells me. I was very surprised. I didn’t realize someone had noticed.” McCardell and Smith would like nothing more to be styling and profiling in Miami at the Super Bowl. The Jaguars were picked by Sports Illustrated to win it all, and McCardell does not back down from such talk. “I think we have a lot of expectations here and I just like to say ‘why not us?’ Why not us go to Miami and be in the Super Bowl? Why not go and win it? “Why not?”
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acksonville coach Tom Coughlin is trying to solve the Super Bowl puzzle for the Jaguars by filling in holes in the secondary, linebacking corps, offensive line and backfield. 