Justin Jefferson on Comeback Player of the Year: 'I Would’ve Loved to See Sam Darnold'

We know the flavors. We know the athletes. But do we know the science?

As the timeless front-runner in the hydration drink market, Gatorade has helped athletes peak when their best is needed. I always envisioned that within the company's headquarters, you'd find suited Gatorade higher-ups arguing about flavor recipes. It turns out that the people behind the brand include a bunch of scientists, kinesiologists, and performance coaches.

After a night out on Bourbon Street, it was 9 a.m. when I entered the G-Lab, Gatorade’s interactive testing facility. For a hungover person like me, it was an opportunity to grasp how important hydration really is. I got wired with all of Gatorade's state-of-the-art technology and ran through multiple tests that tracked my electrolyte loss as well as my loss in athleticism since college. While my body fat percentage and vertical max were posted on stage, Justin Jefferson was directly across from me catching balls off the JUGS machine in dehydration goggles. Despite my 34” vertical, it was obvious who the Gatorade athlete was.

Jefferson is one of the NFL’s most consistently dangerous receivers. We got to chat with the Minnesota Vikings wideout at the G-Lab about NFL jewelry, where his heart was for Comeback Player of the Year, and his history with Gatorade.

We'll start with your relationship with Gatorade. Were you a Gatorade guy growing up?

Justin Jefferson: Yeah, I mean, now the relationship has definitely grown. I was just always a fan of Gatorade, always drinking Gatorade as a kid. And of course when you turn on the TV and you see the Gatorade commercials, that's something that you always dream of and want to be a part of as a little kid. But now actually being in it, having these experiences, being here, it’s honestly a blessing, man. It is so great to be here, great to be in this position. But Gatorade is definitely something that I always wanted to be a part of, so I'm grateful.

Favorite flavor?

I gotta go with grape. I'm more of a purple grape guy. Not too many people pick that one, so I like that.

I know you saw the postgame video of Jalen Hurts’ chain. Is he coming for your swag?

Maybe he is coming for the swag, but hey, I don't mind it. He definitely had a crazy chain that was dancing all over the room. So hey, he can do his thing.

Best ice in the NFL?

I honestly would say me … I don't really see anybody putting on the ice like I be having it on. I think I have different varieties of different chains, grills, and everything. So I would say me.

You remember the Aqib Talib and Michael Crabtree incident? You ever worried about that?

Somebody actually did that to me one time.

On purpose?

On purpose. 100%. But, hey, we're not going to talk about it. Good thing I got insurance. We got it fixed easily, so I wasn't tripping.

If the NFL had no jewelry rules, what would be the next thing you’d wear?

Ooh, I think a watch would be fire. I remember when Odell brought out the Richard. That was definitely an iconic moment. So yeah, I would say putting on different watches during the game, that would be fire.

The Comeback Player of the Year was a close friend of yours, Joe Burrow. A lot of people wanted to see your quarterback, Sam Darnold, win. I’m not gonna ask who you voted for, but what’s your take on that award this year?

For Joe to come back from the injuries and to put up the numbers that he has been, that is pretty special, and you can't take that away from him. But just like you said, Sam was somebody that no one really had on their radar. People doubted him a lot the last few years, so it’s been a banger to have 14 wins, to bring a new team to the playoffs, and to really only lose to two teams throughout the whole entire season. So it is definitely special to do what he has done. I would've loved to see Sam walk across that stage and to get that award, but it's always going to be love for my dog Joey B.

Thoughts on the Super Bowl?

Man, I'm tired of the Chiefs, man. I'm tired of the Chiefs.I have much respect for the Chiefs, and of course Pat Mahomes and what he has been doing, but I'm tired, man. I was ready to see somebody else win.