Jacksonville Jaguars
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Template:NFL team The Jacksonville Jaguars (Jags for short) are a National Football League team based in Jacksonville, Florida.
- Founded: Franchise awarded in 1993. Team began play in 1995.
- Home stadium: ALLTEL Stadium
- Uniform colors: Dark teal, Black, and Gold
- Helmet design: A snarling jaguar head on solid black, with black facemask, white chinstrap and gold number on the back.
- League championships won: 0
- Mascot: Jaxson de Ville
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Franchise history
In 1995, along with the Carolina Panthers, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL as the first expansion teams in almost 20 years. The Jaguars finished their inaugural season with a record of 4-12.
Jacksonville's 1996 season was a marked success. They won their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9-7. But, more importantly, they stunned the sports world by, not only making the playoffs, but also reaching the AFC Championship game in January 1997 before losing 20-6 to the New England Patriots. The Jaguars' 30-27 upset postseason win over the John Elway-led Denver Broncos on January 4, 1997, is generally considered the greatest victory in Jaguars history.
In December 1998, the Jaguars won the AFC Central Division and became the first NFL expansion team to make the playoffs three times in its first four seasons of play.
The 1999 season was quite a success for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they compiled a record of 14-2, which was the best regular season record in the NFL for that year. In the January 2000 AFC Divisional playoffs, the Jaguars flattened the Miami Dolphins 62-7 in what turned out to be Dan Marino and Jimmy Johnson's last NFL game. Jacksonville's 62 points and 55-point margin are the second most ever in NFL playoff history, and Fred Taylor's 90-yard run is the longest ever in an NFL playoff game. The Jaguars ultimately lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship game.
Following the defeat in the AFC Championship Game, the team's fortunes declined as players left due to the team's poor salary cap position. The years 2000-2002 all featured losing records and in January of 2003, the Jaguars fired head coach Tom Coughlin and replaced him with former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
The 2004-2005 season resulted in a winning record of 9-7 (their best victory came on December 19th against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field). But the following week's shutout by the Houston Texans eventually would eliminate the Jaguars from the playoffs, thus they would not be able to play the Super Bowl on their own home turf (this is the first year the Jaguars have hosted the Super Bowl).
Players of note
Pro Football Hall of Famers
(none)
Current players
- Kyle Brady TE
- Rashean Mathis CB
- Terry Cousin CB
- Donavin Darius SS
- Deon Grant S
- John Henderson DT
- Reggie Hayward DE
- Byron Leftwich QB
- Jimmy Smith WR
- Marcus Stroud DT
- Fred Taylor RB
- Reggie Williams WR
- Todd Yoder TE
Retired numbers
None
Not to be forgotten
- Tony Boselli LT
- Tony Brackens DT
- Mark Brunell QB
- Mike Hollis K
- Keenan McCardell WR
- Natrone Means RB
- Hardy Nickerson LB
- Tom Coughlin (coach)
Work in the community
The Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation was established in 1995, when the franchise deal was first announced. Since then, the Foundation has given over $6 million to area efforts in community improvement. In recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on youth programs, such as Honor Rows and Fresh Futures. The Jags also have a program called Playbooks, which is designed to help stop illiteracy.
External links
- Official Jacksonville Jaguars web site (http://www.jaguars.com/)
- Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation (http://www.jaguars.com/Foundation/)