The entire Cardinals building was waiting for Jeremiyah Love playing on Week 1 after the brief ankle sprain he suffered this preseason.
His dad, Jason Love, explained how not playing was never an option.
“He’s very resilient, and he knew he would be ready for the day,” Jeremiyah Love’s father said about his son’s NFL debut to Arizona Family.
Jeremiyah Love’s Father Says He Was Ready to Play
“He was gonna be healthy. He was gonna play today. So he’s healthy, he’s feeling great, and he’s ready to put the world on notice.”
Though it was a true timeshare out of the backfield—with Tyler Allgeier handling the bulk of the reps—the No. 3 overall pick didn’t need a heavy snap count to show why the Cardinals front office spent a premium draft slot on him.
Love made his presence felt immediately, punching in his first career NFL touchdown on a crisp five-yard run that opened the scoring and injecting life into an Arizona offense that had been biting its nails over his health all month.
Finished with 49 yards on a managed touch count, the rookie out of Notre Dame proved that even operating behind a veteran like Allgeier, his explosive ceiling is ready to translate to Sundays right out of the gate.
“To me, he’s already won. I mean his talent is undeniable,” Love’s dad further added.
“He wins wherever he goes. I think the Cardinals are an excellent organization, and he’s a great addition to them. Hopefully, we can make it to the playoffs and make it to the championship. They’re in the making, and they’re building an excellent team.”
Seeing his son play in the league made Jason Love emotional, especially after seeing him through every part of his football career, from Pee Wee league straight to playing for an NFL team in their season opener.
Jason Love on Jeremiyah’s Journey
“Just breathtaking,” Love told 12 Newz AZ.
“Totally ecstatic, and I’m nervous. I mean, watching my baby go out there and play, even though he’s a grown man. It’s just breathtaking. I followed his trajectory all the way from Pee Wee, high school, then blessed by Notre Dame, and now this is the dream of being in the NFL.”
“We started practicing for this when he was 5 years old. All the way up until now, it’s just amazing. Words can’t describe it. We start at 5-6 years old; you never really think about, ‘We’re gonna end up in the NFL.’ But we just took it day by day and year by year and success by success, setback by setback. So, he’s gonna put the world on notice.”
“Hopefully I won’t cry. Hopefully they won’t catch me on camera crying. It’s going to be that type of emotional moment for me. But he’s probably back there relaxing and getting his head ready, and I’m just nervous. It’s a wonderful experience. Words can’t describe it.”
The Cardinals were smart to break him in slow so he doesn’t tweak that ankle again, but the fact that he’s already getting the high-value red zone touches proves they trust him right out of the gate.
Jeremiyah Love’s Father Drops Pure Pride Over Rookie’s NFL Debut with Cardinals