Benjamin St-Juste’s Optimism and Excitement for the Upcoming NFL Season

*Watch the interview with Benjamin St-Juste, Monday evening, at the Antichambre.

MONTREAL – For the last year of his contract, some might believe that Benjamin St-Juste does not find himself in an ideal context with the arrival of new coaches, but he rather feels support from them.

“Yes, we can say that it was not the staff who drafted me. But, at the same time, the new leaders show a lot of confidence in me,” St-Juste told RDS.ca.

To restore the image of the Washington Commanders, Dan Quinn was hired as head coach and he surrounded himself with new assistants.

“They saw raw talent and that I accomplished a lot last season even in a very difficult environment with few wins (a 4-13 record). They see my potential and that I haven’t reached my peak. For coaches, it’s one of the greatest challenges,” said the athlete who will celebrate his 27th birthday on September 8.

This explains the glow in St-Juste’s face when he talks about the next campaign.

“Oh yeah, I’m really excited for this season,” St-Juste revealed before adding some interesting details.

“What put us in difficult situations last year was that there were a lot of gray areas, things that weren’t simple enough. As soon as there is doubt, it is difficult to play quickly. The new coaches noticed this and presented us with a simpler playbook; complex, but simple,” he noted, liking the fact that Quinn still has the energy of a player.

As a young veteran, he identifies winning conditions to continue his development.

“He went to the Super Bowl with the Falcons, and for the last few years, the Cowboys had a really good defense. When I say that I will learn a lot, it will also come from players like Bobby Wagner who is added to our team. He’s a future Hall of Famer. I will learn even more how to control the defense, how to understand offensive concepts and how to study opposing teams,” he described.

The human side was also at the heart of concerns during team activities (OTA’s) which the Commanders advanced by two weeks.

“It’s crazy, the 180 degree turnaround with our organization! Even for the owners, before I didn’t have the chance to meet the owner who drafted me. Since it’s Josh Harris, Mitch (Rales) and Magic Johnson, I’ve been able to meet with them almost every day and they’ve asked us how we can improve the experience with the team for our families and friends. It is sharp to see the change that is taking place,” mentioned the Quebecer.

If his optimism is confirmed this season, St-Juste would undoubtedly be happy to continue his career in Washington. Negotiations should wait until after the 2024 season so that the new general manager, Adam Peters, has a more precise picture of his contribution.

Jayden Daniels will help the whole team

Of course, St-Juste’s hope rests in particular on the selection of quarterback Jayden Daniels second in the draft.

“I try to stay optimistic and I always tell people that it will be fine. But, this year, I really believe it’s the year for the playoffs. We finally have our quarterback of the future,” he reacted about the promising LSU athlete.

The face of the attack will change considerably, but St-Juste should, as in 2023, get the unpleasant challenge of being confronted, week after week, with the best receivers of opposing teams such as CeeDee Lamb, DK Metcalf, Tyreek Hill and AJ Brown.

St-Juste found a way to finish the 2023 season ranked fourth in the NFL with 17 pass knockdowns. Not surprisingly, he was often targeted by opposing quarterbacks wanting to exploit their top receivers.

“It’s really not easy, I often tell people that it’s the most difficult position after that of quarterback,” explained St-Juste with relevance.

So, when he takes stock of his third season in the NFL, he retains the positive, especially that he was able to stay healthy for the first time in his career.

“I would say it was one of my biggest accomplishments in a regular season. Collectively, of course we were aiming for the playoffs and even the Super Bowl and it didn’t work. But, individually, I find that I have made great strides,” assessed St-Juste.

The 4th edition of his camp, his 1st golf tournament

This summer, before returning to work, St-Juste will continue its community involvement with the fourth edition of its camp (Return to the Origin) which will take place on July 6. It will also add its first golf tournament on June 17.

St-Juste is excited to have athletes from other sports join him.

“I find that we can learn a lot from other people’s careers. In addition, it’s for a great cause, to give back to Quebec’s sporting youth,” said St-Juste, who welcomed 625 young people, including 150 girls, to his camp in 2023.

He concluded by quoting one of his former coaches.

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. But if you want to go far in life, work as a team. »

2024-05-06 11:00:00
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