Green Bay Packers run back AJ Dillon in action against Houston Texans (AP Photo / Sam Craft)
Aaron Rodgers smile usually means game over. The Los Angeles Rams were reminded of that when the NFL’s newly crowned MVP buried them well in last month’s Roundtable matchup.
With seven minutes to play, there was an inevitable smirk on the Packers quarterback’s face as he shouted to take the knot before returning five steps and floating a foot into his path. wide receiver Allen Lazard, who finally had a 58-. a rod touchdown would confirm the decision in Green Bay’s 32-18 win.
The 37-year-old led the league with 48 touchdowns, a 70.7 percent completion rate and a 121.5 passer rating, his unbalanced and invisible nature both on and off the field serving as additives familiar to the elegant arm talent.
For AJ Dillon ‘s running back, Rodgers’ ability to move the viewer between a rear viewer and a cold – blooded killer became an experience in his rookie year.
0:14 Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers seeks wide receiver Allen Lazard for a 58-yard touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 16
“Incredibly, man, he’s a different breed,” Dillon said Sky Sports. “My words won’t even describe it. Of course you see it on TV and in the games what it does, but this guy appears inside and out. it’s cold, wet, hot and going out and doing, and it’s always locked inside.
“He ‘s the kind of person who can sit there and laugh with you and then throw the best ball you’ve ever seen but someone else is joking and they can’t focus on it. So you talk about professionalism, you talk about someone who handles their business the right way, that’s what he does. “
Dillon grew up as a fan of former New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez collecting Panini Trading Cards of the 14-time MLB All-Star. He now finds himself inspired by another A-Rod.
As the trend for so many shifts from college to NFL, Dillon went from being a man to being a protein again overnight.
The Packers left Boston College with full-time school records in rush yards (4,382), career-torn touchdowns (38), total touchdowns (40) and multi-purpose yards (4,618) before landing in Green Bay as the 62nd overall selection at the 2020 NFL Draft and backed by Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams.
Dillon in action for Boston College against Pittsburgh in November 2019 (AP Photo / Keith Srakocic)
An unbeaten introduction paralleled his college career, when his breakout game reached Week Seven of the 2017 campaign when Dillon exploded for 272 yards rushing and four touchdowns from 39 carrying in a 45-42 win over Louisville.
In a similar pattern, he established himself in Week 10 of the NFL’s regular season with 124 rushing yards for two scores off 21 carries to overtake rushing champion Derrick Henry in a 40-point win. -14 over the Tennessee Titans, after managing just 115 yards from 24 touchdowns through the opening nine games.
“I don’t think I would have a game where there were over five carries all season to that point and then I had 21 carries, I got my first two touchdowns, which I have my first Lambeau jump, kinda, but that was a huge boost of confidence, “Dillon added while representing Panini.
“Of course it didn’t work out as a college, I didn’t start the next game but that kind of movement took me a lot going into the playoffs and now going into the playoffs. next year and I feel like the coaches know what it can do.
“It’s hard to say sometimes in practice, there are only so many reps. But a long-time, minute-long, long-time game requires big-time plays, so there are I’m glad I did. “
6:01 Selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Packers in the NFC Championship Game on January 24
An extended career out of the backfield could await Dillon in 2021 amid uncertainty over the fate of running back Jones and Williams colleagues, both of whom are set to be free producers.
Jones led the team with 1,104 yards rushing for nine touchdowns from 201 attempts last season, followed by Williams ’505 yards for two scores off 119 carries.
The trio rarely appeared together until the postseason arrived, at which point head coach Matt LaFleur supported Rodgers with a three – legged rush attack that tossed down the Rams ‘No 1’ s defense.
“I learned a lot from them,” Dillon continued. “They have helped me so much, there is no animation or anything between us, we all look out for each other and I feel like they taught me how to be a bigger leader.
“Of course I was a director at BC but it can be hard to be a director when you’re not the person so watching those people, they both go into a free agency this year and they have been around for four years, we are always competing but we do not compete in the feeling that we do not want each other to succeed.
“To watch them do that and to be superstitious has taught me a lot about looking out for your brothers and inspiring them.”
2:47 Revive some of Rodgers’ favorite plays for Green Bay as the Packers beat the Rams to reach the NFC Championship Game
Between them, Jones and Williams also added 78 catches for 591 yards and three touchdowns as important factors in the Packers’ passing game.
While Dillon’s coming out of college reputation was centered around his danger as a back-to-back power, the 22-year-old made flash signs of his talent as a catcher. with 13 performances for 195 yards and a courtship in his youngest year. With the way the Packers offense works, it’s an area of his game he’s dealt with ever since.
“Going into the season after I got a draft, I got a lot of opportunities to work out with Jordan Love first pick, we’re in the same group so we started to connect more That definitely prepared me, “he said.
“Then obviously when I arrive, I think of myself as RB1 in any situation so I want to make sure everyone knows what I can do, no matter what. is a pass, block, run the ball game and I feel like when I get those chances to show that I did this year. “
The patience required during the opening weeks and then the responsibility for carrying most of the workload against the Titans gave Dillon an insight into the importance of staying ready, both to physically and mentally.
It’s a lesson that remains apparent as he enters the offseason as he says it’s a top choice.
“Just being a pro, preparing, taking care of your body,” Dillon said of most grocery stores as a rookie. “As you go every day because in the NFL people sometimes go down, people have to be called, people step up so you never know when your number will be called.
“You may have been moved to a bigger job or even moved to a smaller job but you need to be able to do your job so just always prepare as I do everything. “
For the second straight season, the Packers ’playoff run ended in the NFC Championship Game when they defeated the Super Bowl-Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
But in his first real experience of NFL heartbreak, Dillon found himself able to draw hope from the harmony of the undamaged locker room and offer the support of former players to their young players.
0:38 Packers head coach Matt LaFleur says he expects Rodgers to remain as the team’s starting quarterback in 2021 and beyond
“Everyone was disappointed to get that far and not be able to achieve it, but you can’t take away all our successes and the records that people have broken. and other achievements, “Dillon said.
“Of course it’s hard to think of the positive things at a time like that but overall the big message was ‘it’s okay to feel a little sore’, the love in the -catch room, we have a family unit there, that’s something I can definitely say so it was like this, ‘stay together and if you need anything, you can reach out to anyone ‘. “
They’ll be back, maybe with Dillon as the lead.
Stay tuned to Sky Sports NFL’s digital and social channels for the latest news and commentary as we build up to the free and NFL 2021 Draft.