Commanders rookie Jaylin Lane has been a revelation. Props to Pops.

"It became something of a ritual in the Lane household, after the kids said their prayers each night, just before they went to bed. Jaylin Lane, then 5 years old, would head to his older brother B.J.'s room. Their father would stand by the door and alternately toss them a football, cutting off the light while it was in mid-flight to increase the difficulty."

""Sometimes he'd leave the light on for a minute and turn it off late. Sometimes he'd flicker it," Lane recalled. "And one time he held it off for too long [and the ball] smacked me." Lane's nose started to bleed. His dad tried to stop him from crying loudly enough that his mother would hear. But the mishap didn't ruin their routine; they just switched to a Nerf ball and kept going."

"A fourth-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech, Jaylin Lane joined the Washington Commanders this year with expectations he would primarily be the team's punt returner. But as training camp went on, with wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown both sidelined, the 23-year-old found himself getting more reps on offense - and he showed glimpses he could carve out a more significant role."

Nightly childhood ritual involved Jaylin and his older brother playing catch as their father alternately turned the light off to increase difficulty. A mishap where a tossed ball struck Jaylin's nose led to a Nerf substitute, but the routine continued. Brian Lane has long been a high school football coach, and Jaylin developed within that environment. Jaylin was a fourth-round pick from Virginia Tech and joined the Washington Commanders expected mainly as a punt returner. Injuries to veteran receivers gave him more offensive reps in training camp, where coaches praised his improving technique and physicality and teammates noted his potential beyond returns.

Read at The Washington Post