Making his way to the top in the NFL

Many dream of one day playing on an official NFL team, but not many make the cut. The defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Yannick Ngakoue, imparts his wisdom and knowledge on what it takes to make it in the NFL.

Ngakoue started playing football early in his life, starting on his middle school football team and played college ball for Maryland. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguar team in 2016 and has played in the last four seasons.

“Everyday my motivation is to be the best, that’s the number one goal to me is to get a gold jacket… and just get championships,” Ngakoue says, “Playing for the league is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ business.” Ngakoue goes onto explain he feels more pressure being a veteran player since he gets more attention than rookie athletes.

He says that he embraces all the extra attention he gets and it motivates him even more. But being in the NFL doesn’t come without a price.

Ngakoue says that he is constantly drenched in sweat with all the practice and gameplay, he explains he has problems with hyperhidrosis, which means he over sweats on a regular basis. Ngakoue says that being an athlete he is constantly working to stay hydrated including IV treatments for a consistent recovery rate from intense training.

Ngakoue reveals his most stressful day was when he was drafted to the NFL but his family and friend were there to support him during the TV airing of the NFL Draft. He feels pressure to land perfect plays and to be an aggressive player that he is known for.

For more on Ngakoue’s advice, check out the video above.