Jacksonville Jaguars in the Brunell Years

Jacksonville Jaguars Jersey, The National Football League\'s decision to expand the League in 1995 by adding two new teams was an exciting time for football fans everywhere. With the creation of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars, however, nobody expected that they would achieve immediate success, however. Expansion teams generally take years Jacksonville Jaguars Jersey to find their way in the NFL, as they must struggle with a host of factors in their attempt to build durable and lasting franchises. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, that trend was overcome due to their early decision at quarterback.

Grabbing Brunell

The 1995 Expansion Draft saw the Jaguars select quarterback Steve Beurlein to be their field general. At the time, the Jaguars also traded several draft selections to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Mark Brunell - who was backing up the legendary Brett Favre at the time. Brunell was eager to leave the city, since it was obvious that he would receive little if any playing time behind a quarterback who was already showing signs of being as durable as any who came before. Once in Jacksonville, it did not take long for Brunell to get the starting nod over Jacksonville Jaguars Jersey Beurlein, whose miserable performance on the field elicited no confidence from his teammates or coaching staff.

First season

As the first year\'s campaign winded down, the Jaguars broke the previous record for new expansion teams by winning four of their sixteen games. They were joined in the expansion success by the Panthers who won seven. The Bengals had previously set the expansion first-season mark with three victories nearly three decades before. Brunell\'s cool leadership Jacksonville Jaguars Jersey was already in evidence, however, as he compiled more than two thousand passing yards on the season, with another four hundred yards of rushing.

Finding success

The 1996 season was a complete turnaround for the team, and the start of a four year stretch that would see the Jaguars in the playoffs each year, win their division in 1998 and 1999, and storm into the AFC Championship in both 1996 and 1999. This was the period of Jacksonville\'s greatest success, as Brunell and the team set a new benchmark for expansion teams that will be difficult for future teams to beat. In both 1996 and 1999, the team was one victory away from a Super Bowl appearance - despite missing the big game, the Jaguars had sent a clear signal to the rest of the teams in the NFL that their franchise was not willing to wait for its time in the sun.

Brunell\'s legacy

The Jaguars were indeed fortunate to have the steady-handed Brunell guide them through their initial seasons of play. As a three-time Jaguar Pro-Bowler, Brunell\'s calm leadership was instrumental in the Jaguars\' ability to find the early franchise success that eludes most teams. In fact, his trade after the 2003 season marked the start of the Jaguars\' current period of decline, as they have descended from the heights of AFC prominence to become just another team among the crowd in the NFL.

Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school coach.

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