Jakobi Meyers grew to become the New England Patriots' top receiver by the end of his tenure with team. But earlier in his career, it seemed he may never get to that point.
An undrafted free agent from North Carolina State, Meyers didn't really solidify himself in the offense until midway through his second season. Before that, he found himself so frustrated to the point where he almost quit football entirely.
That was until former Patriots quarterback Cam Newton pulled him aside for a heart-to-heart conversation that Meyers described as "life-changing."
“It’s crazy you tell that story, because you don’t even know,” Meyers said to Newton on the 4th and 1 Youtube series. “I remember that situation you’re talking about bro. That low-key saved my career bro. I don’t even think you know how serious that was for me. Like you said, I wasn’t even dressing?
“It was like, no bro, this ain’t for me. This league stuff ain’t for me, I’ll go figure it out. Just that talk bro, I remember sitting there in that chair and that talk was perfect timing. I’ll always appreciate you for that for sure.”
That conversation wasn't just special for Meyers, but for Newton too as he got to see his teammate realize his potential.
“The world was seeing – I’m not going to sit up here and say what I was seeing – because you were balling out as a rookie, having that connection with [Jarrett Stidham], but just that belief in yourself, that’s what I stand on,” Newton said.
In 2020, the lone season Newton and Meyers played together, the receiver caught 59 passes for 729 yards. He would then carry that momentum into the next two seasons, surpassing 800 yards both times with eight touchdowns combined. After that, Meyers cashed in by signing a three-year $33-million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.
For Meyers, though, that fateful conversation with Newton is largely why he's where he is now.
“I can finally see what I can be,” Meyers continued. “How good I can be on the field instead of just like my family — we need this, so you’ve got to go out there and take these hits, you’ve got to go out there and block this dude. I’m not going to lie, it gave me a whole new aspect on football, like I get to enjoy it a little bit more. I get to try to be a better teammate, a better person, be more involved in it. I’m just grateful for real.”
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