Justin Jefferson Explains How Coach Kevin O’Connell Helped Him Take His Game to New Heights

Justin Jefferson has gotten off to an unprecedented pace through the first five years of his career.

Since the Vikings drafted him in 2020, Jefferson has recorded a historic 7,432 yards, well more than any other receiver in NFL history over five seasons. Despite missing seven games due to injury in 2023, Jefferson already has over 600 more receiving yards in his first five seasons than any other player.

Jefferson's accomplishments are almost easy to overlook. He's coasted to 1,000 receiving yards in effortless fashion year after year, and makes every aspect of his game—his swivels past defenders, his leaps for tough catches and his signature "Griddy" celebration after a touchdown—look easy.

The sixth-year receiver is known for his positivity and plays with that childlike enthusiasm, but behind his smile Jefferson is also set on much deeper goals, like the legacy he's leaving behind and his responsibilities as a captain and role model for those around him.

"I think about legacy more than the moment that I'm in right now, I think about what people will say about me after the fact," Jefferson told Sports Illustrated while speaking on behalf of Sleep Number. "Will I be considered a top receiver ever? Will I be a Hall of Famer? All of those things run through my mind. It's just inching my way in towards that.”

Jefferson has big goals, but he’s off to a big start to his career, so doubt him at your own risk.

"Too long of a list [of accomplishments] to read, that's what I want," Jefferson said. "... To go up on that stage and to receive a Hall of Fame jacket and to see that statue of my face. That's definitely something I've dreamed of for a very long time. To have my name installed into one of the greats in this game of football, and to have that honor, for my family, the first person to do it. It's definitely, very special to have the records and all of that with it, and hopefully a Super Bowl."

Jefferson has been dominant since the third game of his career, but like many athletes, he's fueled by the lingering chip on shoulder. The chip from being the fifth receiver off the board in the 2020 NFL draft, and a two-star recruit coming out of high school.

Jefferson's internal motivation has gotten him off to a blazing start, including over 3,000 yards over his first two NFL seasons. Following his first two years, Kevin O'Connell took over as the Vikings head coach, coming to Minnesota after helping the Rams win the Super Bowl and Cooper Kupp win Offensive Player of the Year.

"I was asking, 'How did Cooper Kupp be that guy for y'all, what did he do? What did it look like? How am I able to be that role into this offense that you're bringing to us now?’ And straight up, he told me, 'Well, you're going to have to work harder than anyone else. You're going to have to go out there and run all of these different routes, being able to motion, being in different positions, and having to be in my playbook and to understand every position on the field,'" Jefferson said. "I was able to take it on full steam, and that's why we have the success that we have now."

In O'Connell, Jefferson has a coach that can both have fun and best maximize his abilities on the field. Jefferson calls O'Connell a "guru" for creating new opportunities for him to get the ball, even when he's facing double and triple teams.

Jefferson could likely succeed in any offensive scheme, but he gets to play in an environment that is well-suited for him and his goals of becoming an all-time great. He's already off to a historic pace, and so long as he doesn't slow down too much, that gold jacket in Canton should be eagerly awaiting him by the time he hangs it up.