Kene Nwangwu soaks in 99-yard kick return landing in Jets vibrant spot
Xavier Gipson was standing within the MetLife Stadium tunnel earlier than Sunday’s Jets recreation in opposition to the Seahawks having a phrase with Kene Nwangwu, who’d simply been elevated off the apply squad to the gameday roster.
“We stated on the best way out of the tunnel, ‘If not you, then who? If not then, then when?’ ” Gipson, the Jets punt returner, stated. “He by no means complains, is at all times in good spirits and at all times prepares like that is his second.”
Nwangwu, a fourth-year working again and kick returner signed to the Jets apply squad in September, appeared prepared for his second, all proper.
He was one of many few vibrant spots for the Jets of their dispiriting 26-21 loss to Seattle by advantage of his 99-yard kick return for a landing to offer the Jets a 21-7 lead within the first quarter.
Earlier within the first half, Nwangwu stripped Seattle kick returner Dee Williams of the ball, recovered by Brandin Echols. The turnover led on to the Jets’ second landing and a 14-0 lead.
“What an incredible story,” Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich stated of Nwangwu. “Kene was a man for weeks now who now we have been spotlighting and displaying the group — simply his course of and the way arduous he’s labored. He earned the appropriate to play immediately and all that onerous work got here to fruition.
“[The kick return] was a very wonderful second, not only for him however for the group as a result of the group is actually invested in that human being.”
Nwangwu has had some success within the NFL, having returned 4 kickoffs for touchdowns and as soon as incomes an All-Professional nomination.
He was drafted within the fourth spherical out of Iowa State in 2021 and spent three years of his NFL profession with the Vikings. In 2021, he led the league with two kickoff return touchdowns and added one other in 2022.
He’s spent the season working as a scout-team participant in practices, giving the protection appears. And Sunday was his first game-day second as a Jet.
“I knew on Saturday walkthrough that I used to be going to be up,” Nwangwu stated. “It’s like using a motorbike, ensuring I’m ready if I used to be going to be up, taking notes, being intentional in apply, taking keys from coaches and all that kind of stuff. It was good to see that it interprets to recreation days.”
For a participant who’s performed within the league to sit down that lengthy on the apply squad confirmed nice persistence on the a part of Nwangwu.
“The issue comes from understanding that you simply made performs on this league earlier than,” he stated. “Yeah, I need to be on the market making performs for my teammates, however on the finish of the day I do know my position proper now. Once I got here to this group, my position is to serve the perfect search for the protection and ensure if I’m ever referred to as upon, I do know what I’m doing.”
He referred to as the “better part” of the kick return “celebrating together with your teammates,’’ including, “You’ll be able to’t do that recreation alone. All of us made a giant play there. It wasn’t simply me.”
The disgrace is that such a cool story was buried in yet one more Jets loss.
