History of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Encyclopedia
The history of the Jacksonville Jaguars, an American football
team in the National Football League
(NFL), formally dates to 1993, when the NFL awarded Jacksonville
, Florida
the expansion franchise that became the Jacksonville Jaguars
. The Jaguars, along with the Carolina Panthers
, started play in the 1995 NFL season as expansion teams.
, an annual civic highlight traditionally accompanied by parties, ceremonies, parades and other events leading up to the game. Jacksonville is also host to the Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic, the annual college football
rivalry game between the Georgia Bulldogs
and the Florida Gators
.
The Gator Bowl stadium was built out of steel trusses and was frequently built onto, with the final addition of the reinforced-concrete west upper deck coming in 1982. The stadium hosted short-lived teams in both the World Football League
(Jacksonville Sharks/Express), American Football Association (Jacksonville Firebirds, a team that coincidentally used the Jaguars name in its earlier years) and the United States Football League
(Jacksonville Bulls
) and the occasional NFL exhibition game. The city briefly attempted to lure the Baltimore Colts
, whose team owner Robert Irsay
famously landed a helicopter in the stadium as thousands of Jacksonville citizens urged him to move the team there. City leaders also attempted to get the Houston Oilers
to move to Jacksonville at one point in the late 1980s. Great efforts were made to lure the Oilers, including the creation of a "Jacksonville Oilers" banner and designation of a specific section of the Gator Bowl as a non-alcohol, family section for proposed home games. Though the efforts proved unsuccessful, it did serve as a launching pad for the city's attempt to gain an NFL expansion team.
and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, and with the sport growing the NFL felt the time was right to add additional franchises. Five cities were ultimately chosen as finalists for the two new teams: Charlotte, North Carolina
; St. Louis, Missouri
; Baltimore, Maryland; Memphis, Tennessee
; and Jacksonville. From the beginning, Charlotte and St. Louis were considered the heavy favorites to win, with Baltimore also a strong possibility. Though not as strong a bid, Memphis was still considered an outside possibility, as the NFL did not have a presence in the area.
For many reasons, Jacksonville was considered the darkest horse in the field. Florida
already had two NFL teams: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, who played about a four-hour ride away, and the Miami Dolphins
, who were already popular in Jacksonville and most of the state. Secondly, any expansion team would also have to compete with existing college football interests. The state's three major college football teams — the Florida Gators
, the Florida State Seminoles
and the Miami Hurricanes
— all have fairly large followings in the area. Additionally, the Georgia Bulldogs
have a large fan base in Jacksonville due to its close proximity to the Georgia border. Jacksonville was also the only television market in the running that was not in the top 50 Nielsen markets. While Jacksonville was the 15th largest city in the nation at the time, it was (then as now) only a medium-sized market because the surrounding suburban and rural areas are smaller than the city itself. There were 635,000 people in Jacksonville proper according to the 1990 census, but only 900,000 people in the metropolitan area.
However, the biggest potential hurdle was the near-constant turmoil surrounding the ownership group. It had formed in 1989, three years before the NFL formally launched its expansion drive. The group called itself Touchdown Jacksonville! and it placed its formal application with the NFL in 1991. The original ownership group had included future Governor Jeb Bush
and Jacksonville developer and political kingmaker Tom Petway
. It was in 1991 this group confidently announced that it would call its team the Jacksonville Jaguars. After some defections and mutinies, the group came to be led by the relatively deep pockets of J. Wayne Weaver, shoe magnate and founder of Nine West
.
From the time Touchdown Jacksonville! came to being, they faced several challenges. In April 1993, the NFL indicated to Jacksonville officials that additional renovations to the Gator Bowl on top of what had already been committed would be needed. After several weeks of negotiations, and at least one breakdown, an agreement was reached that capped the city's liability for construction and was sent to the City Council for approval. However, on July 21, 1993, the Council failed to approve the financing package, dooming the bid. Deposits on season tickets were refunded, and Touchdown Jacksonville!'s offices were shuttered.
Largely due to being underwhelmed by the remaining suitors, the NFL and others encouraged Jacksonville interests to revisit the issue and resurrect their bid. About a month later negotiations between the city and Touchdown Jacksonville! resumed, and a slightly revised aid package was approved by a solid majority of the City Council. Officially back in the race, Jacksonville officials were energized, indicated by a drive to sell club seats that resulted in over 10,000 seats being sold in 10 days. The Jaguars also gained a high-profile investor when former NFL star player Deron Cherry
signed on as a limited partner.
After Charlotte was granted the 29th franchise on October 26, the NFL announced they would name the 30th franchise on or before November 30, 1993. By this time, conventional wisdom was that St. Louis would get the 30th franchise. In fact, so sure were some in St. Louis that the franchise would be granted that T-shirts of the "St. Louis Stallions" (the proposed new team name) briefly went on sale at some St. Louis area sporting goods shops. However, it was not meant to be, as at 4:12 p.m. (ET) on the afternoon of November 30, Jacksonville was announced as the winning franchise. The next evening, 25,000 fans celebrated at the Gator Bowl as season ticket sales were kicked off. Within ten days, the Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville's daily newspaper) announced sales had passed the 55,000 seat mark. (Incidentally, St. Louis
, Baltimore
, and Tennessee
. would gain relocated NFL franchises in 1995, 1996, and 1997, respectively).
After the 1993 Gator Bowl
, work commenced on renovations to the Gator Bowl on January 3, 1994, which would need to be completed prior to the start of the 1995 season
. In fact, the renovation was essentially the construction of a new stadium, as the entire lower bowl was demolished and replaced with a reinforced concrete superstructure. To allow the city time to complete the stadium, the Georgia-Florida rivalry was played as a home-and-home series in 1994 and 1995 (the first time they played in either school's home city since 1932), and the 1994 Gator Bowl
was played in Gainesville. The stadium would be completed on time and hosted its first preseason NFL game on August 18, 1995.
, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL as the first expansion teams in almost 20 years. The Jaguars finished their inaugural season with a record of 4–12. During this inaugural season many of the players who would lead Jacksonville to early successes began establishing themselves, including quarterback Mark Brunell
(obtained in a trade with Green Bay), offensive lineman Tony Boselli
(drafted with the 2nd pick overall in the 1995 NFL Draft
) running back James Stewart
(also drafted in 1995), and wide receiver Jimmy Smith (signed as a free agent).
was a marked success. They won six of their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9–7. The last of the 9 wins was snatched from Atlanta
, 19-17, by the off chance that Atlanta kicker Morten Andersen
, a career 96.9% under 30 yards kicker, shanked a 30 yard field goal. In doing so, they clinched the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs after winning a tiebreaker with the 9–7 Indianapolis Colts
. Their first playoff game was against the Buffalo Bills
at Buffalo
, a game that the Jaguars won 30–27. Their next game was against the Denver Broncos
, top seed in the AFC and a team that, with a 13–3 record, had dominated the AFC that year. Yet the Jaguars, unintimidated by the Broncos or their fans, largely dominated from the second quarter on, with a late Mark Brunell to Jimmy Smith touchdown giving the Jags a 30–20 lead late. They held on to win 30–27, in what was regarded by many as the second greatest upset in NFL history. Upon their return home, the Jags were greeted by an estimated 40,000 fans at the stadium. Many of these fans had watched the game on the stadium JumboTron displays and had stayed into the early hours of the morning when the team arrived. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jaguars lost 20–6 to the New England Patriots
. On an interesting sidenote, their fellow second-year NFC expansion team, the Carolina Panthers
, also got to the NFC Championship, where they lost 30-13 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers
. In that year, Super Bowl XXXI
almost became an all-expansion team Super Bowl.
, whom the Jaguars had knocked out of the playoffs the previous year, trampled the Jaguars at Mile High Stadium
42–17, with five of their six touchdowns coming on run plays.
25–10. However. they lost in the Divisional Round as the New York Jets
won at Giants Stadium
34–24.
was quite a success for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they compiled a record of 14–2, which was the best regular season record in the NFL that year; it remains the best season record in franchise history. In the January 2000 AFC Divisional playoffs, the Jaguars flattened the Miami Dolphins
62–7 in what turned out to be Dan Marino
and Jimmy Johnson's last NFL game. Jacksonville's 62 points and 55-point margin are the second most ever in NFL playoff history, and Fred Taylor's 90-yard run is the longest ever in an NFL playoff game. However, the Jaguars again failed to move on to the Super Bowl when they were defeated a week later by the Tennessee Titans
33–14. The Jaguars thus finished the 1999 season 15–3, with all three of their losses coming against the Titans. (Not surprisingly, this was the only time in NFL history that a 3-loss team met all of its losses at the hands of only one team.)
and Seth Payne
were exposed to be drafted by the expansion Texans in 2002. This move helped bring the Jaguars under the salary cap, but was emblematic of the loss of talent over these years. WR Keenan McCardell
, CB Aaron Beasley
, LB Kevin Hardy and RB James Stewart were other players lost to free agency because of salary-cap issues. The years 2000–02 all featured losing records. Coach Tom Coughlin
was quoted as saying his 2002 squad had less talent on it than the original 1995 expansion team roster, a statement that many analysts agreed with. Coughlin would coach that team to 6 wins (compared to 4 wins in 1995), but he was also to blame for the team's roster and salary cap issues because he doubled as the team's general manager.
In January 2003, the Jaguars fired Tom Coughlin
along with all of his staff. Team owner Wayne Weaver shortly announced Coughlin's replacements, they were former NFL quarterback James "Shack" Harris as the de facto General Manager (VP of Player Personnel) and former Carolina Panthers
defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio
in the head coaching position. Del Rio also had an impressive NFL career, going to the Pro Bowl
as a linebacker.
James Harris was noted for his "Best Player Available" draft philosophy, in which he ignores the team's current roster and simply picks the college player he feels is the best athlete. This is in contrast to Coughlin's draft philosophy, which was based on assessing needs in the current pro roster. James Harris put this philosophy to work immediately upon being hired, drafting quarterback Byron Leftwich
even though Mark Brunell
, who at the time was in the top ten for best QB rating in league history, was still on the roster. Harris's 2003 and 2004 draft classes were highly regarded.
, celebrated as the 10th season of the Jaguars' existence, resulted in a winning record of 9-7 with road victories against the Green Bay Packers
at Lambeau Field
as well as the Indianapolis Colts
at the RCA Dome. The Jaguars' defense was a strong suit, as it included the 2 of the team's Pro Bowl players, defensive tackles Marcus Stroud
and John Henderson
. Byron Leftwich
also enjoyed a solid year in 2004, helped by strong performances from holdovers Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith. Unfortunately, Taylor sustained a season-ending injury at the Packers game. The very next week saw the Jaguars fall to the Houston Texans
, which would ultimately eliminate the Jaguars from the playoffs. This denied them an opportunity to play the Super Bowl
at their home stadium (the Super Bowl in February 2005 being the first the Jaguars, and Jacksonville, hosted).
were able to easily clinch the AFC South title. With a 12–4 record (second best finish in team history), the Jaguars easily qualified for one of the conference's two wild card playoff allocations. Among these 12 wins were a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals
on October 9, 2005 and a 23-17 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers
on October 16, 2005. While the Jaguars managed to win key games in 2005, 9 of their final 10 games were played against opponents with losing records. Though these games were wins, key players Byron Leftwich
, Mike Peterson
, Paul Spicer
, and Rashean Mathis
were hurt during this stretch. The Jaguars ended the season losing 28-3 to the two-time defending champion New England Patriots
on January 7, 2006 in the 2005 season's AFC wild card playoff round.
Tragedy befell the Jaguars again as offensive tackle Richard Collier
was shot multiple times outside his girlfriend's apartment on September 2, 2008 and left a paraplegic. Jacksonville tumbled to 5-11 and the bottom of the division in 2008. Beginning 2009, the Jaguars lost three of the first six matches, including a 41-0 shutout at Seattle. They won four of the next five and held faint playoff hopes into December, but a defeat in New England finally sealed their fate, and they lost the season ender against Cleveland. The Jaguars continued to have trouble selling seats, and all but one home game were blacked out on local television.
The Jaguars went into the 2010 season amid efforts by the team and the City of Jacksonville to drum up ticket sales and revive enthusiasm about the team. Jacksonville Municipal Stadium's naming rights were granted to EverBank
in August 2010, and the stadium was renamed EverBank Field.
The Jaguars were able to sell out their 2010 home opener against the Denver Broncos
. The Broncos had on their roster ex-Florida Gators
quarterback and Jacksonville native Tim Tebow
, which generated interest in the local media. Tebow played only two downs the entire game, which saw Jacksonville win 24-17. The following weekend they traveled to San Diego where they lost 38-13 to the San Diego Chargers
After being crushed at home 28-3 by Philadelphia, the Jaguars hosted their division rival Indianapolis in Week 3 and won 31-28 on a last-minute field goal by kicker Josh Scobee
. They followed this up by beating the winless Buffalo Bills
in Week 5 with a score of 36-26. After this, the team hosted Tennessee in its first Monday Night Football
game in four years, but the Jaguars quickly folded, losing quarterback David Garrard
to an injury and suffering a 30-3 rout. They next played the Kansas City Chiefs
and lost 42-20. After this crushing loss, David Garrard made a triumphant return and led the Jaguars to three straight victories, against the struggling Dallas Cowboys (35-17), against division rival Texans on a last-second hail mary touchdown pass (31-24), and the Cleveland Browns (24-20). This streak would be ended the next week by a loss to the New York Giants. (24-20) However, a rebound victory was scored the next week against a now struggling Titans team, (17-6) putting them in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. The Jaguars maintained their lead by beating Oakland 38-31 in Week 15.
2011 opened with the Jaguars dropping David Gerrard from the roster. Taking over under center was veteran Luke McCown, but despite beating Tennessee in Week 1, he imploded against the Jets in Week 2, leading to 1st-round rookie Blaine Gabbert taking over. but Jacksonville still struggled as they lost four straight games. Finally they beat Baltimore on MNF 12-7. All of their scoring came on field goals by kicker Josh Scobee, but solid defense held off the Ravens' mediocre offensive game. Joe Flacco threw an interception on the last drive of the game to clinch the win for the Jaguars.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL), formally dates to 1993, when the NFL awarded Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
the expansion franchise that became the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Jaguars, along with the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, started play in the 1995 NFL season as expansion teams.
Jacksonville football history
For decades, Jacksonville had earned a reputation of being a good football town, hospitable for both college and pro football. Every year the city hosts the Gator BowlGator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
, an annual civic highlight traditionally accompanied by parties, ceremonies, parades and other events leading up to the game. Jacksonville is also host to the Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic, the annual college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
rivalry game between the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
and the Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
The Gator Bowl stadium was built out of steel trusses and was frequently built onto, with the final addition of the reinforced-concrete west upper deck coming in 1982. The stadium hosted short-lived teams in both the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
(Jacksonville Sharks/Express), American Football Association (Jacksonville Firebirds, a team that coincidentally used the Jaguars name in its earlier years) and the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(Jacksonville Bulls
Jacksonville Bulls
The Jacksonville Bulls were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League during its final two seasons, 1984 and 1985...
) and the occasional NFL exhibition game. The city briefly attempted to lure the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, whose team owner Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay
Robert Irsay , was an American professional football team owner. He owned the National Football League's Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts franchise and, briefly, the former Los Angeles Rams.-Biography:...
famously landed a helicopter in the stadium as thousands of Jacksonville citizens urged him to move the team there. City leaders also attempted to get the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
to move to Jacksonville at one point in the late 1980s. Great efforts were made to lure the Oilers, including the creation of a "Jacksonville Oilers" banner and designation of a specific section of the Gator Bowl as a non-alcohol, family section for proposed home games. Though the efforts proved unsuccessful, it did serve as a launching pad for the city's attempt to gain an NFL expansion team.
Welcome to the NFL: 1991–94
In 1991, the NFL made a decision to expand the league by two teams, originally in time for the 1993 season. The league had not expanded since the 1976 season with the addition of the Seattle SeahawksSeattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, and with the sport growing the NFL felt the time was right to add additional franchises. Five cities were ultimately chosen as finalists for the two new teams: Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
; St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
; Baltimore, Maryland; Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
; and Jacksonville. From the beginning, Charlotte and St. Louis were considered the heavy favorites to win, with Baltimore also a strong possibility. Though not as strong a bid, Memphis was still considered an outside possibility, as the NFL did not have a presence in the area.
For many reasons, Jacksonville was considered the darkest horse in the field. Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
already had two NFL teams: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, who played about a four-hour ride away, and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who were already popular in Jacksonville and most of the state. Secondly, any expansion team would also have to compete with existing college football interests. The state's three major college football teams — the Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
, the Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
and the Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
— all have fairly large followings in the area. Additionally, the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
have a large fan base in Jacksonville due to its close proximity to the Georgia border. Jacksonville was also the only television market in the running that was not in the top 50 Nielsen markets. While Jacksonville was the 15th largest city in the nation at the time, it was (then as now) only a medium-sized market because the surrounding suburban and rural areas are smaller than the city itself. There were 635,000 people in Jacksonville proper according to the 1990 census, but only 900,000 people in the metropolitan area.
However, the biggest potential hurdle was the near-constant turmoil surrounding the ownership group. It had formed in 1989, three years before the NFL formally launched its expansion drive. The group called itself Touchdown Jacksonville! and it placed its formal application with the NFL in 1991. The original ownership group had included future Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
and Jacksonville developer and political kingmaker Tom Petway
Tom Petway
Thomas Franklin Petway, III is a lifelong resident of Jacksonville, Florida and one of the most successful business and civic leaders in Jacksonville and the state of Florida.-Personal:...
. It was in 1991 this group confidently announced that it would call its team the Jacksonville Jaguars. After some defections and mutinies, the group came to be led by the relatively deep pockets of J. Wayne Weaver, shoe magnate and founder of Nine West
Nine West
Nine West is a fashion wholesale and retail company best known for quickly translating runway trends into styles attainable by mass consumers. Initially founded as a fashion footwear brand, Nine West has since expanded into handbags, sunglasses, legwear, outerwear, jewelry, belts, watches, cold...
.
From the time Touchdown Jacksonville! came to being, they faced several challenges. In April 1993, the NFL indicated to Jacksonville officials that additional renovations to the Gator Bowl on top of what had already been committed would be needed. After several weeks of negotiations, and at least one breakdown, an agreement was reached that capped the city's liability for construction and was sent to the City Council for approval. However, on July 21, 1993, the Council failed to approve the financing package, dooming the bid. Deposits on season tickets were refunded, and Touchdown Jacksonville!'s offices were shuttered.
Largely due to being underwhelmed by the remaining suitors, the NFL and others encouraged Jacksonville interests to revisit the issue and resurrect their bid. About a month later negotiations between the city and Touchdown Jacksonville! resumed, and a slightly revised aid package was approved by a solid majority of the City Council. Officially back in the race, Jacksonville officials were energized, indicated by a drive to sell club seats that resulted in over 10,000 seats being sold in 10 days. The Jaguars also gained a high-profile investor when former NFL star player Deron Cherry
Deron Cherry
Deron Leigh Cherry is a retired professional American football strong safety who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1981 to 1991. Deron was a free safety and punter at Rutgers University. In 1979, he was named the team’s MVP. In 1979 and 1980, Cherry earned AP All-East honors...
signed on as a limited partner.
After Charlotte was granted the 29th franchise on October 26, the NFL announced they would name the 30th franchise on or before November 30, 1993. By this time, conventional wisdom was that St. Louis would get the 30th franchise. In fact, so sure were some in St. Louis that the franchise would be granted that T-shirts of the "St. Louis Stallions" (the proposed new team name) briefly went on sale at some St. Louis area sporting goods shops. However, it was not meant to be, as at 4:12 p.m. (ET) on the afternoon of November 30, Jacksonville was announced as the winning franchise. The next evening, 25,000 fans celebrated at the Gator Bowl as season ticket sales were kicked off. Within ten days, the Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville's daily newspaper) announced sales had passed the 55,000 seat mark. (Incidentally, St. Louis
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. would gain relocated NFL franchises in 1995, 1996, and 1997, respectively).
After the 1993 Gator Bowl
1993 Gator Bowl
The 1993 Outback Gator Bowl, part of the 1993 bowl game season, took place on December 31, 1993, at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. The competing teams were the Alabama Crimson Tide, representing the Southeastern Conference , and the , representing the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, work commenced on renovations to the Gator Bowl on January 3, 1994, which would need to be completed prior to the start of the 1995 season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
. In fact, the renovation was essentially the construction of a new stadium, as the entire lower bowl was demolished and replaced with a reinforced concrete superstructure. To allow the city time to complete the stadium, the Georgia-Florida rivalry was played as a home-and-home series in 1994 and 1995 (the first time they played in either school's home city since 1932), and the 1994 Gator Bowl
1994 Gator Bowl
The 1994 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the and the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida on December 30, 1994...
was played in Gainesville. The stadium would be completed on time and hosted its first preseason NFL game on August 18, 1995.
1995
In 1995, along with the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL as the first expansion teams in almost 20 years. The Jaguars finished their inaugural season with a record of 4–12. During this inaugural season many of the players who would lead Jacksonville to early successes began establishing themselves, including quarterback Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
(obtained in a trade with Green Bay), offensive lineman Tony Boselli
Tony Boselli
Don Anthony "Tony" Boselli, Jr. is a former American football offensive tackle. He spent nearly all of his professional career playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League ....
(drafted with the 2nd pick overall in the 1995 NFL Draft
1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
) running back James Stewart
James Stewart (football player)
James Ottis Stewart known as "Little Man," was a running back at his high school of Morristown West High School. Then went to college and, is a former professional American football running back who was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1st round of the 1995 NFL Draft. A 6'1",...
(also drafted in 1995), and wide receiver Jimmy Smith (signed as a free agent).
1996
Jacksonville's 1996 season1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
was a marked success. They won six of their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9–7. The last of the 9 wins was snatched from Atlanta
1996 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Schedule:-References:...
, 19-17, by the off chance that Atlanta kicker Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
, a career 96.9% under 30 yards kicker, shanked a 30 yard field goal. In doing so, they clinched the 5th seed in the AFC playoffs after winning a tiebreaker with the 9–7 Indianapolis Colts
1996 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1996 Indianapolis Colts season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League and 13th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1996 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses, and finished third in the AFC East division.On October 13,...
. Their first playoff game was against the Buffalo Bills
1996 Buffalo Bills season
The 1996 Buffalo Bills season was their 37th in the league. The team matched their previous season's output of 10–6. They qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
at Buffalo
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
, a game that the Jaguars won 30–27. Their next game was against the Denver Broncos
1996 Denver Broncos season
-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Awards and records:Pro BowlQB John ElwayRB Terrell DavisTE Shannon SharpeT Gary ZimmermanDE Alfred WilliamsDT Michael PerryLB Bill RomanowskiS Steve AtwaterS Tyrone BraxtonAP Offensive Player of the Year – Terrell Davis...
, top seed in the AFC and a team that, with a 13–3 record, had dominated the AFC that year. Yet the Jaguars, unintimidated by the Broncos or their fans, largely dominated from the second quarter on, with a late Mark Brunell to Jimmy Smith touchdown giving the Jags a 30–20 lead late. They held on to win 30–27, in what was regarded by many as the second greatest upset in NFL history. Upon their return home, the Jags were greeted by an estimated 40,000 fans at the stadium. Many of these fans had watched the game on the stadium JumboTron displays and had stayed into the early hours of the morning when the team arrived. In the AFC Championship Game, the Jaguars lost 20–6 to the New England Patriots
1996 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots participated in the National Football League's 1996 season, the team's 37th in football. The Patriots finished with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished first in the AFC East division...
. On an interesting sidenote, their fellow second-year NFC expansion team, the Carolina Panthers
1996 Carolina Panthers season
-Regular season:-Postseason:-Week 2: at New Orleans Saints:Acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars, quarterback Steve Beuerlein did not throw a single pass, instead rushing three times for a net loss of ten yards; Kerry Collins handled the quarterbacking duties, throwing for 171 yards and one pick...
, also got to the NFC Championship, where they lost 30-13 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers
1996 Green Bay Packers season
The 1996 Green Bay Packers season was the team's 76th in the National Football League, which culminated with the franchise winning its third Super Bowl and league-record 12th NFL World Championship . The Packers posted a league-best 13-3 regular season won-loss record, going 8-0 at home and 5-3 on...
. In that year, Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI
Super Bowl XXXI was an American football game played on January 26, 1997, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1996 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American...
almost became an all-expansion team Super Bowl.
1997
In the franchise's third year (1997), the Jaguars got an 11–5 record and got into the playoffs for the second year in a row as a Wild Card Team. However, this return was short-lived as the Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, whom the Jaguars had knocked out of the playoffs the previous year, trampled the Jaguars at Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the...
42–17, with five of their six touchdowns coming on run plays.
1998
In December 1998, the Jaguars won the AFC Central Division and became the first NFL expansion team to make the playoffs three times in its first four seasons of play. In the Wild Card Round, the Jaguars won their very first playoff game at home against the New England Patriots1998 New England Patriots season
The 1998 New England Patriots season was the 29th season for the team in the National Football League and 39th season overall. They finished with a 9–7 record, good for fourth place in the division but also a playoff berth; they lost in the first round to the Jacksonville Jaguars.In the offseason,...
25–10. However. they lost in the Divisional Round as the New York Jets
1998 New York Jets season
The 1998 New York Jets season was the 39th season for the team and the 29th in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 9–7 record from 1997 and finished 12–4 in their second season under head coach Bill Parcells, winning their first division title since the AFL-NFL merger...
won at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
34–24.
1999
The 1999 season1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
was quite a success for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they compiled a record of 14–2, which was the best regular season record in the NFL that year; it remains the best season record in franchise history. In the January 2000 AFC Divisional playoffs, the Jaguars flattened the Miami Dolphins
1999 Miami Dolphins season
The 1999 Miami Dolphins season was the 34th year of existence for the Miami Dolphins franchise. The year saw the team struggling with the end of Dan Marino's career...
62–7 in what turned out to be Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
and Jimmy Johnson's last NFL game. Jacksonville's 62 points and 55-point margin are the second most ever in NFL playoff history, and Fred Taylor's 90-yard run is the longest ever in an NFL playoff game. However, the Jaguars again failed to move on to the Super Bowl when they were defeated a week later by the Tennessee Titans
1999 Tennessee Titans season
The 1999 Tennessee Titans season was the Titans' 40th season and their 30th in the National Football League. It was the first season for the club under the moniker "Titans," while the nickname "Oilers" was retired by the NFL...
33–14. The Jaguars thus finished the 1999 season 15–3, with all three of their losses coming against the Titans. (Not surprisingly, this was the only time in NFL history that a 3-loss team met all of its losses at the hands of only one team.)
Decline: 2000–02
Following their defeat in the AFC Championship Game, the team's fortunes declined as players left due to the team's poor salary cap position. Boselli, along with strong defensive tackles Gary WalkerGary Walker
Gary Lamar Walker is a former American football player who played defensive end, most recently for the Houston Texans of the NFL. He accumulated 148 tackles and 15 sacks in two seasons at Auburn University, earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as a senior. Before Auburn, he...
and Seth Payne
Seth Payne
Seth Copeland Payne is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 1997 NFL Draft....
were exposed to be drafted by the expansion Texans in 2002. This move helped bring the Jaguars under the salary cap, but was emblematic of the loss of talent over these years. WR Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
, CB Aaron Beasley
Aaron Beasley
Aaron Bruce Beasley is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He played collegially at West Virginia University...
, LB Kevin Hardy and RB James Stewart were other players lost to free agency because of salary-cap issues. The years 2000–02 all featured losing records. Coach Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
was quoted as saying his 2002 squad had less talent on it than the original 1995 expansion team roster, a statement that many analysts agreed with. Coughlin would coach that team to 6 wins (compared to 4 wins in 1995), but he was also to blame for the team's roster and salary cap issues because he doubled as the team's general manager.
In January 2003, the Jaguars fired Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
along with all of his staff. Team owner Wayne Weaver shortly announced Coughlin's replacements, they were former NFL quarterback James "Shack" Harris as the de facto General Manager (VP of Player Personnel) and former Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio is an American football coach and former player. Del Rio played both football and baseball for the University of Southern California Trojans, and then spent eleven years playing linebacker in the National Football League . He retired from playing in 1996 and went into coaching,...
in the head coaching position. Del Rio also had an impressive NFL career, going to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
as a linebacker.
Return to the playoffs: 2003-05
Del Rio has been referred to as a "players' coach" and is rarely seen yelling at his players on the sideline or saying bad things about them to the press (in stark contrast to Coughlin). His training camps are noted for having a low number of high-intensity workouts in full pads, tending to emphasize walking through the game's mental aspects instead. However, it should also be noted that Del Rio's style of game play is very physical, relying on a punishing rushing attack and stellar defensive play.James Harris was noted for his "Best Player Available" draft philosophy, in which he ignores the team's current roster and simply picks the college player he feels is the best athlete. This is in contrast to Coughlin's draft philosophy, which was based on assessing needs in the current pro roster. James Harris put this philosophy to work immediately upon being hired, drafting quarterback Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
even though Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
, who at the time was in the top ten for best QB rating in league history, was still on the roster. Harris's 2003 and 2004 draft classes were highly regarded.
2004
The 2004 season2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, celebrated as the 10th season of the Jaguars' existence, resulted in a winning record of 9-7 with road victories against the Green Bay Packers
2004 Green Bay Packers season
The 2004 Green Bay Packers season started with the Packers losing four of their first five games, then winning their next six games, and finally ending in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They finished with an overall record of 10-7....
at Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
as well as the Indianapolis Colts
2004 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2004 Indianapolis Colts season was the 52nd season for the team in the National Football League and 21st in Indianapolis. The 2004 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their 12–4 record from 2003, and advance farther into the playoffs...
at the RCA Dome. The Jaguars' defense was a strong suit, as it included the 2 of the team's Pro Bowl players, defensive tackles Marcus Stroud
Marcus Stroud
Marcus LaVar Stroud is an American Football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 13th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
and John Henderson
John Henderson (NFL football)
John Nathan Henderson , nicknamed Big John or Big Hen, is an American football defensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
. Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
also enjoyed a solid year in 2004, helped by strong performances from holdovers Fred Taylor and Jimmy Smith. Unfortunately, Taylor sustained a season-ending injury at the Packers game. The very next week saw the Jaguars fall to the Houston Texans
2004 Houston Texans season
The 2004 Houston Texans season was the third season in franchise history and saw the expansion club make a two-game improvement on its previous season record. This was the first season in franchise history where the Texans did not finish in last place in the AFC South...
, which would ultimately eliminate the Jaguars from the playoffs. This denied them an opportunity to play the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
at their home stadium (the Super Bowl in February 2005 being the first the Jaguars, and Jacksonville, hosted).
2005
The 2005 Jaguars' hoped to challenge the Colts for the division title. However, due to their 13-0 start, including two victories against the Jaguars, the Colts2005 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2005 Indianapolis Colts season was the 53rd season for the team in the National Football League and 22nd in Indianapolis. The 2005 Colts season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record from 2004 and to advance further into the playoffs...
were able to easily clinch the AFC South title. With a 12–4 record (second best finish in team history), the Jaguars easily qualified for one of the conference's two wild card playoff allocations. Among these 12 wins were a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals
2005 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2005 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 38th year in professional football and its 36th with the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Postseason:...
on October 9, 2005 and a 23-17 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers
2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season began with the team trying to improve on their 15–1 record from 2004 in which they lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Heinz Field. The Steelers, with the sixth and final seed to the playoffs, became just the second team ever to win...
on October 16, 2005. While the Jaguars managed to win key games in 2005, 9 of their final 10 games were played against opponents with losing records. Though these games were wins, key players Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
, Mike Peterson
Mike Peterson
Porter Michael "Mike" Peterson is an American professional football player who has been a linebacker in the National Football League for thirteen seasons...
, Paul Spicer
Paul Spicer
Paul Spicer is a former defensive end who spent the majority of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1998...
, and Rashean Mathis
Rashean Mathis
Rashean Jamil Mathis is an American football cornerback currently playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.-High school:Mathis attended Englewood High School in Jacksonville at the same time as Brett Myers of the Houston Astros, and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, he...
were hurt during this stretch. The Jaguars ended the season losing 28-3 to the two-time defending champion New England Patriots
2005 New England Patriots season
The 2005 New England Patriots season was the 36th season for the team in the National Football League and 46th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and the division title before losing in the playoffs to the Denver Broncos....
on January 7, 2006 in the 2005 season's AFC wild card playoff round.
2006-present
The 2006 season was an unremarkable 8-8 campaign, and the Jaguars only achieved third place in the division. In 2007, several players became caught in legal troubles and the team had to embark on a mass overhaul to have the required 53-man roster. Jacksonville gained a wild card spot after an 11-5 regular season and knocked out Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Afterwards, they lost to an undefeated Patriots team in the divisional round.Tragedy befell the Jaguars again as offensive tackle Richard Collier
Richard Collier
Richard Bernard Collier is a former professional American football player. He played offensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League from 2006–2008, until a shooting incident left him paralyzed from the waist down, ending his football career.Collier played college...
was shot multiple times outside his girlfriend's apartment on September 2, 2008 and left a paraplegic. Jacksonville tumbled to 5-11 and the bottom of the division in 2008. Beginning 2009, the Jaguars lost three of the first six matches, including a 41-0 shutout at Seattle. They won four of the next five and held faint playoff hopes into December, but a defeat in New England finally sealed their fate, and they lost the season ender against Cleveland. The Jaguars continued to have trouble selling seats, and all but one home game were blacked out on local television.
The Jaguars went into the 2010 season amid efforts by the team and the City of Jacksonville to drum up ticket sales and revive enthusiasm about the team. Jacksonville Municipal Stadium's naming rights were granted to EverBank
EverBank
EverBank is an American diversified financial services company providing banking, mortgages, and investing services. It is based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. It operates through standard banking offices, and through its Direct Banking division. EverBank Direct operates by telephone, mail, and...
in August 2010, and the stadium was renamed EverBank Field.
The Jaguars were able to sell out their 2010 home opener against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Broncos had on their roster ex-Florida Gators
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
quarterback and Jacksonville native Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
, which generated interest in the local media. Tebow played only two downs the entire game, which saw Jacksonville win 24-17. The following weekend they traveled to San Diego where they lost 38-13 to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
After being crushed at home 28-3 by Philadelphia, the Jaguars hosted their division rival Indianapolis in Week 3 and won 31-28 on a last-minute field goal by kicker Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
. They followed this up by beating the winless Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Week 5 with a score of 36-26. After this, the team hosted Tennessee in its first Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game in four years, but the Jaguars quickly folded, losing quarterback David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
to an injury and suffering a 30-3 rout. They next played the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and lost 42-20. After this crushing loss, David Garrard made a triumphant return and led the Jaguars to three straight victories, against the struggling Dallas Cowboys (35-17), against division rival Texans on a last-second hail mary touchdown pass (31-24), and the Cleveland Browns (24-20). This streak would be ended the next week by a loss to the New York Giants. (24-20) However, a rebound victory was scored the next week against a now struggling Titans team, (17-6) putting them in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. The Jaguars maintained their lead by beating Oakland 38-31 in Week 15.
2011 opened with the Jaguars dropping David Gerrard from the roster. Taking over under center was veteran Luke McCown, but despite beating Tennessee in Week 1, he imploded against the Jets in Week 2, leading to 1st-round rookie Blaine Gabbert taking over. but Jacksonville still struggled as they lost four straight games. Finally they beat Baltimore on MNF 12-7. All of their scoring came on field goals by kicker Josh Scobee, but solid defense held off the Ravens' mediocre offensive game. Joe Flacco threw an interception on the last drive of the game to clinch the win for the Jaguars.