43 Fun Facts About Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars joined the NFL in 1995 as an expansion team alongside which other franchise?

The Carolina Panthers were awarded the 29th franchise on 26 October 1993; Jacksonville was named the 30th team on 30 November, and both began play in 1995.

Which city was favourite for the second 1993 NFL expansion franchise before Jacksonville won it?

St. Louis and Baltimore got their teams anyway a few years later, by taking the Rams and Browns from other cities.

What was the name of the ownership group organised in 1989 to bring the NFL to the city?

Touchdown Jacksonville! was formed in 1989 by local business leaders; shoe magnate Wayne Weaver joined in 1993 and became the Jaguars' majority owner, running the club until the sale was completed in January 2012.

Owner Wayne Weaver said the teal tongue on the Jaguars' logo came from what?

Weaver quipped that the tongue turned teal from feeding Panthers to his team; his wife Delores suggested the touch, and teal candies were handed out at the first preseason game to match.

Who was the Jaguars' first head coach, hired in February 1994?

He took the expansion team to two AFC Championship Games in his first five seasons and later won two Super Bowls with the Giants.

The Jaguars' first-ever draft pick, second overall in 1995, was which future Hall of Fame tackle?

Tony Boselli, a USC left tackle, was the first Jaguar elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 2022, and the club retired his number the same year.

Which quarterback threw the first touchdown pass in Jaguars history, to Randy Jordan in 1995?

Steve Beuerlein started the 1995 opener, a 10–3 loss to the Houston Oilers, and threw the first touchdown pass in Jaguars history the following week; the team finished its debut season 4–12.

Left-handed quarterback Mark Brunell came to Jacksonville after being drafted by which team?

The Green Bay Packers took the Washington Huskies left-hander in the fifth round in 1993; Jacksonville traded for him in April 1995, and he later joined the club's ring of honour.

Who beat the Jaguars 20–6 in the AFC Championship Game after the 1996 season?

The New England Patriots won 20–6 at Foxboro in January 1997, a week after Jacksonville had stunned Denver 30–27; the Jaguars had won five straight just to make the playoffs at 9–7.

The Jaguars' 62–7 divisional-round win in January 2000 was the last game of which quarterback's career?

Dan Marino never played again after the 62–7 rout on 15 January 2000, a 55-point margin; Jacksonville's first drive ended in a 90-yard touchdown run.

Which running back became the first Jaguar to rush for 1,000 yards, in 1998, and holds the franchise record?

Fred Taylor ran for 1,223 yards as a rookie in 1998 and finished with a franchise-record 11,271; the Florida Gator joined the club's ring of honour in 2012.

Which Jaguars 1,000-yard receiver of 1996-97 had begun his career winning two Super Bowls with Dallas?

Jimmy Smith barely played for the Cowboys but became the Jaguars' all-time leading receiver with 12,287 yards, making five Pro Bowls between 1997 and 2001.

The Jaguars moved from the AFC Central to which division in the 2002 realignment?

The AFC South, created in the 2002 realignment, grouped Jacksonville with Indianapolis, the expansion Houston Texans and the former Houston Oilers, ending the twice-a-year Steelers rivalry.

Which quarterback did the Jaguars take seventh overall in 2003, to eventually replace Mark Brunell?

Byron Leftwich, from Marshall, went seventh overall in 2003 and started under new coach Jack Del Rio; the Jaguars released him in favour of David Garrard before the 2007 season.

Which running back led the NFL in rushing for Jacksonville in 2011?

Maurice Jones-Drew, from UCLA, led the league with 1,606 rushing yards in 2011 despite the team going 5–11, and made three straight Pro Bowls from 2009 to 2011.

Which head coach went 14–48 before the Jaguars fired him in December 2016?

Gus Bradley was fired on 18 December 2016 with a 14–48 record, a .226 winning percentage; Blake Bortles, drafted third overall in 2014, was his quarterback.

What were Blake Bortles' franchise-record passing yards and touchdowns in 2015?

Bortles threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns in 2015, both franchise records at the time, though the team went 5–11; he had been drafted third overall out of Central Florida in 2014.

What nickname did the Jaguars' dominant 2017 defense earn?

Sacksonville, coined for a pass rush that piled up 55 sacks, carried the 2017 team to 10–6, a first division title since 1999 and a 45–42 divisional-round win at Pittsburgh.

Which Jaguar's fumble recovery was controversially blown dead in the 2017 AFC Championship Game?

Myles Jack stripped Dion Lewis and scooped the ball up with open field ahead, but the play was ruled down by contact; the hosts then rallied from 20–10 down in the fourth quarter to win 24–20.

The 2020 Jaguars finished with what record, the worst in franchise history?

The 2020 team went 1–15, winning only its opener against Indianapolis before losing 15 straight; the reward was the first overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick in 2021, won a national championship as a freshman at which college?

Lawrence led Clemson to a 44–16 rout of Alabama in the January 2019 national championship game as a true freshman and was the consensus top prospect of the 2021 draft.

In the 2022 wild-card round the Jaguars beat the Chargers 31–30 after trailing by how much?

Jacksonville trailed 27–0 late in the second quarter before Trevor Lawrence, who had thrown four interceptions, led the rally to a 31–30 win on a last-second field goal, the third-largest comeback in NFL postseason history.

Doug Pederson arrived in Jacksonville in 2022 having won a championship as head coach of which team?

Doug Pederson won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles in February 2018, beating the defending champions 41–33; Jacksonville hired him in February 2022 after Urban Meyer's exit.

Which team had Liam Coen been offensive coordinator for before the Jaguars hired him in January 2025?

Coen was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator for the 2024 season, after earlier spells as offensive coordinator with the Rams in 2022 and at Kentucky in 2021 and 2023.

Which pass rusher set the Jaguars' single-season sack record with 17.5 in 2023?

Josh Hines-Allen, who played as Josh Allen until adding his mother's surname in 2024, set the club record with 17.5 sacks in 2023 and made the Pro Bowl; the Kentucky product went seventh overall in 2019.

Who bought the Jaguars from Wayne Weaver in 2012?

Shahid Khan, the Pakistani-American owner of auto-parts maker Flex-N-Gate, paid about $770 million for the team; the sale closed in January 2012.

Which English football club did Jaguars owner Shahid Khan buy in 2013?

The Jaguars' owner bought Fulham from Mohamed Al-Fayed in July 2013, when the Craven Cottage club was in the Premier League; the price was not disclosed.

From 2013 the Jaguars agreed to play one home game a year at which London stadium?

Wembley hosted a Jaguars home game every season from 2013 to 2019 under a deal first struck in August 2012 for four seasons and then extended to 2020.

What unusual amenity was added to the north end zone of the Jaguars' stadium in the 2014 renovation?

The $63 million upgrade, part-funded by the owner, added two swimming pools and cabana seating in the north end zone, plus what were then the world's largest video boards.

The Jaguars' stadium was built on the site of which famous old venue?

The old Gator Bowl was torn down to its west upper deck and rebuilt in 1994–95 as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, later carrying the Alltel, EverBank and TIAA Bank names.

What is the name of the Jaguars' mascot, known for bungee jumping off the stadium lights?

Jaxson de Ville, introduced in 1996, is famous for bungee jumping and zip-lining from the light towers; his antics prompted the NFL to tighten its mascot rules in 1998 and drew a complaint from Colts president Bill Polian in 2007.

What did fans vote to call the team's ring of honor in 2006?

Fans chose the name Pride of the Jaguars in 2006, with the first inductee honoured later that year; Weaver and his wife Delores were added at his final game as owner on 1 January 2012.

Which number is the only one officially retired by the Jaguars?

Brunell's 8, Taylor's 28 and Smith's 82 have simply never been reissued; Boselli's 71 was retired at halftime against Houston in 2022.

Which cornerback did the Jaguars trade to the Rams for two first-round picks in 2019?

Jalen Ramsey, the fifth overall pick in 2016, was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in October 2019 for first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 plus a fourth-rounder.

Which Super Bowl MVP quarterback did the Jaguars sign in 2019, then lose to a broken collarbone in Week 1?

Nick Foles, MVP of Super Bowl LII, signed a four-year $88 million deal in March 2019 but broke his collarbone in the opener against Kansas City, on the play where he threw a 35-yard touchdown to DJ Chark.

Which linebacker did the Jaguars take second overall in the 1996 draft?

Kevin Hardy, an Illinois linebacker, went second overall in 1996, one pick after Keyshawn Johnson, and spent six seasons in Jacksonville before joining Dallas in 2002.

Who was the Jaguars' third head coach, fired after a 2-14 season in 2012?

Mike Mularkey lasted one season, going 2–14 in 2012, the franchise's worst record at the time; new general manager Dave Caldwell fired him in January 2013.

Which sixth-round rookie quarterback started most of the Jaguars' 2019 season?

Gardner Minshew, a sixth-round pick from Washington State, started 12 games as a rookie in 2019, throwing 21 touchdowns against six interceptions as the team went 6–10.

Why have the Jaguars traditionally chosen white jerseys at home early in the season?

Wearing white at home in the September heat means opponents must swelter in dark colours under the Florida sun, a habit shared with the state's other NFL teams; the Jaguars have occasionally broken it to wear teal.

What unusual feature did the Jaguars' 2018 uniform redesign have on the pants?

The 2018 set stripped the pants of stripes and logos, leaving only the NFL shield and the Nike swoosh, and paired them with plain block jersey numerals and new alternate teal pants.

In which city did the Jaguars stage a comeback win over the Dolphins in Week 6 of 2021?

The game was at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where Matthew Wright's 53-yard field goal as time expired beat Miami 23–20 and ended a 20-game losing streak.

Which station was the Jaguars' flagship radio home from 1995 until 2013?

WOKV, Cox's news-talk station on 690 AM, carried the Jaguars from their 1995 debut until the rights moved for the 2013 season.

The Jay Fund Foundation, set up by the Jaguars' first head coach in 1996, helps families facing what?

The Jay Fund helps families facing childhood cancer; it is named for Jay McGillis, a Boston College player of the coach's who died of leukaemia in 1992, and later expanded to the New York area.