Raiders’ rookie running back showed signs of greatness as a teenager
Jeff Rayburn knows what an NFL player looks like.
Rayburn has coached five current NFL players at Lone Star High School in Frisco, Texas. So, he and his staff have a good feel for what it takes for a player to look to be one the pathway to the league at a young age.
When Ashton Jeanty showed up unexpectedly as a sophomore, Rayburn knew.
“You could see it already,” Rayburn said of the early thoughts of Jeanty in a telephone interview with Silver and Black Pride. “We have guys in the league and you could see Ashton was one of those guys.”
When the Las Vegas Raiders drafted the running back out of Boise State with the No. 6 overall pick in the April draft, Jeanty joined a special group of Lone Star alumni. He joins Raiders teammate, safety Trey Taylor, Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton and New Orleans Saints linebacker Jaylan Ford as former Rangers’ players being part of the NFL. Rayburn said Jeanty and Taylor didn’t overlap at the high school.
While Rayburn loves seeing young players develop from an early age, he really didn’t know much about Jeanty before he enrolled at the school. Jeanty began his high school football career in Europe because his father was in the military.
“We saw some highlights of him after he just kind of showed up as a sophomore,” Rayburn said. “(What a gift) no doubt about it.”
Jeanty didn’t become the school’s full-time starting running back until his senior season. He played defense as a sophomore, playing on the defensive line and at linebacker including on special teams. He moved to a slot wide receiver role as a junior.
Once he played running back, he took over, rushing for more than 2,000 yards and gaining more than 1,000 yards as a receiver out of the backfield. Rayburn is often asked why Jeanty didn’t go to one of the country’s top programs, well, the answer is not many recruiters knew much about him, so Boise State jumped on him as a senior.
“I’d say it worked out very well for everyone,” Rayburn said.
No, Rayburn said, Jeanty didn’t use his famous “Michael Myers” stance, in high school. That started at Boise State, the coach said.
Rayburn said everyone at the school is excited to see Jeanty get the opportunity to show he can be an elite NFL running back with the Raiders. But he said his lasting memory of Jeanty will be him as a person. Jeanty said before the draft, the Raiders spent more time with him than any other team talking about character. Rayburn said there is no concerns there.
“He’s a remarkable kid who was raised the right way,” Rayburn said. “I’ll always remember his personality, his smile, his laugh and his his work ethic. We’re so excited to see what’s next for him.”