College football star Ashton Jeanty shares NO advice to new players: ‘Don’t chase the bag’
Ashton Jeanty nearly won the 2024 Heisman Trophy after putting up incredible numbers in his final season with Boise State Broncos.
Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards, nearly surpassing former Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards. He also had 29 runs scored. The former Broncos running back had 4,769 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns in 40 career games.
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Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty after the Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on December 31, 2024. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
He accomplished the feat in the midst of an era of name, image and face in college athletics. The better a student-athlete plays on the field, the more money can be made available to him through NIL contracts. Jeanty’s NIL valuation is estimated at $1.6 million, according to On3 Sport.
Jeanty had NOTHING deals in SAXX underwear and the Boise Hawks minor league baseball team. But for anyone graduating from high school expecting a paycheck, he made it clear that they should focus on their skills on the field, not the money that comes with it.
“No. 1, don’t chase the sack,” he told Fox News Digital when asked if he had any advice for high school athletes coming to college. “Chase your goals and dreams. Everyone seems to run away from it. I had a dream to be an NFL player three years ago, one of the best running backs. And here I am walking in it because I didn’t chase the team. There were a lot of guys I saw how they get more money than me, and I know they weren’t better than me, but I knew I would get there if I kept working where I wanted to be.
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty takes off, Nov. 23, 2024, in Laramie, Wyoming. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
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“You have to trust the process because you can’t expect it all. There’s no entitlement. You have to earn it. That’s the problem today. You might have done something in high school, but when you get to college it’s not It doesn’t matter how many stars you have—I’ve seen five stars which were really good, but the usual thing is work ethic and staying focused on the goal.”
Jeanty said the NIL is a kind of “wild, wild west” in college football, so he had to have a professional mindset when navigating the murky waters.
“I think my whole approach was just to be a pro at it,” he added. “Obviously at the next level I’m going to get paid, but I’m not looking for the biggest paycheck. Honestly, I need something, you know what I’m saying? My morals and values—that’s No. 1. Wherever I can best fit, that’s where I’ll be. “
Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty, of Boise State, speaks during a college football media availability, Dec. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
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Jeanty declared for NFL draft earlier this month. He is expected to be one of the first running backs off the board.
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