The Gold Medal Dream: How Justin Jefferson Could Bring Olympic Glory Home to Louisiana

A Louisiana native, LSU legend, and NFL superstar may have a chance to make a childhood dream come true at the Olympics. Not running track or swimming, but playing football. Sort of.

Justin Jefferson: From Destrehan to Olympic Dreams for Louisiana

During his childhood in Destrehan, Louisiana, Justin Jefferson dreamed of winning a gold medal at the Olympics. That's not speculation or hyperbole, Jefferson said it himself as he appeared alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell as it was announced that NFL players will be allowed to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics. When Jefferson was speaking to the media about this dream, he said that as a kid he was watching track & field and basketball thinking of winning a medal, but now he may get a chance to win one playing the sport he's become a professional in, football.

The NFL owners voted to allow their players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics in flag football. This will be a new sport to the Olympics for the first time, and will be debuting on American soil, with the 2028 Olympics taking place in Los Angeles, California.

NFL Stars to the Olympics: A Game Changer for Louisiana Football

Jefferson has become a flag football ambassador for the NFL, which is why he participated in the official press conference with the NFL to announce this approval. But Jefferson didn't make his name playing the non-contact version of football. He's a full fledged football superstar...but it wasn't always that way.

While he was a college recruit playing for Destrehan High School, Jefferson never rose above a 3-star ranking, and was only the 308th ranked wide receiver in his recruiting class. But the coaching staff at LSU saw something in Jefferson that the overall scouts weren't picking up on.

LSU Football: How Justin Jefferson Became a Tigers Legend

Those LSU coaches were ultimately proven correct, as Jefferson racked up yards, touchdowns, and awards for the Tigers. His first season in 2017 was abbreviated, appearing in just two games and not catching a pass. But as soon as he became a regular starter in 2018, it was off to the races.

Jefferson was pretty dominant in 2018, with 54 catches, 875 yards, and 6 touchdowns. His big LSU breakout came in 2019, when he helped the LSU offense turn the college football world upside down. That season he had 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns. His chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow was evident as they steamrolled every opponent in the College Football Playoffs, on their way to a National Championship. Jefferson shined in the Championship game as well, with 9 catches for 106 yards in the 42-25 win over Clemson.

At the end of the 2019 season, Jefferson entered the NFL Draft. He was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The team used the 22nd overall pick on Jefferson, and might have gotten the steal of the first round. Because he instantly became a star at the NFL level.

Justin Jefferson: NFL Dominance and Louisiana's Pride

In his rookie year, Jefferson set the record for Most Receiving Yards as a Rookie with 1,400 yards (even though his record would be broken in the next season by his former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals) and was one of two rookies named to the Pro Bowl that season. He was named Rookie of the Year by Sporting News and made the NFL All-Rookie team.

He's only gotten better after that amazing rookie year. By 2022, Jefferson had turned into one of the top, if not the top receiver in the NFL. He led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving yards per game for the 2022 season. He racked up 128 catches for 1,809 yards, which was an average of 106.4 yards per game.

Jefferson is currently the NFL career leader in receiving yards per game with 96.5, even though he's just 5 seasons deep into his career, and that number is likely to change by the time he's done playing.

But he could also have a gold medal by the time he's done playing, as Jefferson will likely compete in flag football at the Olympics with the approval of the NFL. Since he has been an ambassador for flag football with the NFL, and since he's been one of the best receivers in the league, it seems likely that Jefferson will have a chance to make his dreams come true at the Olympics.