10 Minute Warning: Inside Jaguars' LT Walker Little's First NFL Start

10 minutes. 

That was all Walker Little had to mentally prepare himself for his first NFL start -- a start that has been in the making since before Little was in first-grade. 

For all of the years of practice and playing football, 10 minutes is what Little's prep time was reduced to in Week 9 before the Jacksonville Jaguars took on the Buffalo Bills as the Jaguars' starting left tackle, Cam Robinson, sustained a back injury in pre-game warmups that forced him out of the lineup and little onto the field just moments before kickoff.

"Yeah, I mean, honestly, the first second I was like 'Oh s***, here we go,'" Little told Jaguar Report with a laugh on Thursday, recounting the moment he found out he would be making his NFL debut against the NFL's top-ranked defense. 

But Little, the No. 45 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, wasn't shook. The former Stanford Cardinal and top high school recruit had been preparing for the NFL for years, but it was this specific moment that he felt ready for long before he knew he would have to be. 

"But then like once I was there like, I felt like I prepared really well. I felt like especially even last week, I told the coaches I feel like I knew that game plan better than any one I've known," Little said. 

"So I really like felt confident. I felt confident in the rest of the O-line and I know I get to go against guys like Josh [Allen] and K'Lavon [Chaisson and [Dawuane] Smoot and guys. So I feel like I'm going against the best guys. So I felt like I was just kind of going out there and I had to perform like I do in practice. So there's obviously a little bit of a shock there for a second and then once I kind of got past that I was ready to go."

Little played a big role in the Jaguars' upset of the Bills, providing stability for Trevor Lawrence (and C.J. Beathard) at left tackle even after a fifth-year veteran in Robinson was injured. It is rare to see a rookie offensive tackle find success right away, let alone against an elite defense like Buffalo, but that is exactly what the Jaguars got out of Little.

Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has been complimentary of Little's performance against Buffalo throughout the week but revealed how close Little was to not even taking over for Robinson -- something he did only because he earned the confidence of offensive line coach George Warhop.

“Not pleasant, but I asked about Will [Richardson Jr.] just because I had a little bit more confidence in Will. But that’s why he’s a line coach and I trust him, by the way, a heck of a line coach," Meyer said on Wednesday. 

"He said we should go with Walker [Little]. I looked at him and I said, ‘That’s the number one defense in the league. Are you sure?’ and he said, ‘Coach, I’m sure’ and he did very well.”

Little's performance wasn't one that surprised those closest to Little. For Meyer, the head coach said it was proof to him and the Jaguars that Little is an NFL-caliber tackle who can hold his own at this level, something they saw on tape at Stanford and in practice daily. 

For Little, it was the culmination of hard work, improvement, and being prepared to step up whenever called upon. And most importantly, it was just football. 

But for Doug and Sara Little -- Walker's parents -- it was even more than that. Little's performance and ability to stand tall in his NFL debut didn't surprise them, even if the sight of him on the field did.

"It was really surprising. I've got four season tickets. And it just so happened that one of his teammates at Stanford, Harrison Phillips, is a starting tackle for the Bills," Doug Little told Jaguar Report this week.

"Of course, we were hurrying to get to the stadium that morning. And they were already there, our friends were already there. And I sat down and gave them a hug. And the players were already out on the field. And, of course, I found Walker immediately and I said to my husband, I said 'Walker is out there.' He goes, no he is not. I said 'Honey, Walker is out there!''" Sara Little told Jaguar Report. "And we just didn't know what happened. Of course, you know, we found out later, but it was just crazy to see him at that game especially."

"And it was funny because I talked to Walker after the game. He said yeah, it was, you know, we didn't know until 10 minutes for the game. And he goes 'that the first thing I thought about was that you guys were gonna be surprised. And it's like, I couldn't do anything about it. It's not like I could run back into the locker room and grab my cellphone,'" Doug Little said. "But it was a great, great surprise. And I'm glad we were there to watch it."

Doug and Sara Little have seen their son play football at a high-level time and time again throughout his life, but Sunday was different. Sunday was more than simply Little's NFL debut or a debut that came as a surprise to excited parents in the stands. 

Instead, it was the vindication of everything they have seen their son do to prepare for this moment. Vindication for his long journey to the NFL, one that saw him sustain a season-ending knee injury in 2019. One that saw him miss the entire 2020 season as he opted out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For the Little's, Sunday was more than just the Jaguars upsetting the Bills. It was the reward for all of their son's hard work and perseverance in a time where many may not have been able to be as patient and trusting in their greater plan.

"It is hard being on top, but it's also when you're not on top anymore. That's really hard too," Sara Little said. 

"And a lot of people doubted, you know, whether or not he was the real deal and could he do it. And we know who he is. And nobody works harder. And, you know, he wasn't perfect, but he hasn't played in two years. So I'm excited for him to get the chance to do what he wants to do. And I think that's what every parent wants is to see their kids succeed."

For several years, Walker Little was working his way back to the top. And as a result of perhaps the most unlikely 10 minutes one will find in the NFL, Little was able to climb his way to the biggest step of his journey yet as the Jaguars upset the Bills in front of a rowdy home crowd -- and in front of his parents.

"It was awesome. I mean, they were talking about coming. I told them if you want to come I think it'll be a fun game to go to. But obviously, I didn't know I was gonna be playing and so I was super happy they were able to be here," Little said. 

"That was actually one of my first thoughts too I was going on the field. It was like, they're gonna be quite surprised when they see me jogging out here right now. And so I was glad they're there. And they're really happy to be able to see my first start."

Little's parents had last seen him play in the preseason. Otherwise, they had gone several years without seeing their son do what he loves the most. But that changed against Buffalo, and it changed as a result of a 10-minute warning that no player can truly be prepared for. 

But Little was prepared. Little, just as he did at Stanford and all the years before, did his job and was able to both keep his quarterback upright sans one sack he was stepped on as well as create room in the running game. For the casual fan, it would be hard to know it was Little's first regular-season game in several years. But for Doug Little, it was the end result of his son's lifelong dream.

"Well, it's an amazing journey that he's been able to take us on to throughout his, his years. From a little kid all the way up, even as a small child, he, you know, he was asked before he's in first grade, what do you want to be when he grow up, and he said, a football player," Doug Little said. 

"So this is a culmination of a dream come true. And to see him come out there and start for a team that loves in a town that he loves, it's just a blessing. We're really fortunate to, to have been a part of it and to see him run out there and play."

And as big of a moment as Sunday was for the Jaguars organization and for Little's parents, it was an even bigger moment for Little himself. For him, it was a chance to at last be back on the football field as the true bullets began to fly and as the scores and games finally began to count. 

But most importantly for Little, it was simply football.

"It was awesome. It was so much fun. And like you said I got in the preseason, but it is always actually getting to go and be in the real deal, the real show, the things you've been watching since you were a little kid. So it was fun," Little said. "It's a dream come true. And now it's just keep preparing out here to see if I get another opportunity to go out there and try to perform again."