JACKSONVILLE – He seizes moments in a big, big way.
If anything has defined Tank Bigsby's second NFL season, it's that – and doing so has made him one of the feel-good stories of the Jaguars' 2024 season.
"This league is about opportunities," Bigsby said.
Bigsby, a third-round selection by the Jaguars in the 2023 NFL Draft from Auburn University, joined senior writer John Oehser for this 2024 Week 8 O-Zone Podcast. He discussed multiple topics, including overcoming what at times was a difficult rookie season.
Experience helped, he said – and faith did, too.
"At Auburn, we'd been through a lot of adversity," said Bigsby, who rushed for 2,903 yards and 25 touchdowns collegiately while playing for two coaches in three seasons. "That school got me ready for a lot of things. When I came into the league and had a little adversity, I didn't let it change my character. I stayed who I was and true to myself.
"I kept praying and asking God to show me the way: Don't flinch. When you get your opportunities, try to take full advantage."
Bigsby has done just that this season. He struggled at times as a rookie, losing a fumble in a Week 1 victory at Indianapolis and rushing for 132 yards on 50 carries and two touchdowns playing 17 games. He has rushed for 415 yards and four touchdowns on 67 carries this season, and has rushed for more than 100 yards in two of the last three games.
Bigsby set career-highs with 118 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a 32-16 victory over the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium in London this past Sunday.
"I told myself this offseason, 'Whatever the Jags ask of me, I have to do it to the best of my ability' because you don't know when the next time you'll get an opportunity,'' Bigsby said. "It's a blessing, to be able to understand what I went through last year, learn a lesson and get to where I am today."
Bigsby through seven games has proven a versatile runner, turning in runs of 58 and 65 yards in back-to-back games against the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts – and also showing impressive power on shorter-range touchdown runs.
He currently ranks 15th in the NFL in rushing, and his 6.2-yards-per-carry average is second in the NFL among backs in the Top 20.
"Running the ball between the tackles kind of gets me going, then running in space kind of comes with it," he said. "I can turn the gear on. It's just a feel thing."
To listen to the entire O-Zone Podcast with Bigsby, click HERE.
