From mobile car washes to fire academy classes, Joey Aguilar nearly traded the gridiron for a siren before an unexpected JUCO opportunity sparked his improbable journey to Jacksonville.
The life of Jacksonville Jaguars' quarterback Joey Aguilar almost took a different path.
Aguilar, who is hoping to make the roster as an undrafted rookie free agent, almost gave up on his dream of playing football and was preparing to become a firefighter. Though he has spoken about the subject before, Aguilar went into great detail about his journey on Tuesday during the Jaguars' first day of mandatory minicamp.
“All the way up until high school, I was just playing football,” Aguilar said, via WJXT’s Jamal St. Cyr on X. “Graduated high school, had no scholarships, no opportunity to go play at the next level. I took a fireman class, so I was into that. Once I graduated in 2019, I kind of stepped away from football. I went to JUCO, but mostly for school, and I wanted to take a fireman class and go that route, become a firefighter. So I was doing that, and me and my dad opened up a mobile car wash. So we’re out there washing some cars and making some money, trying to become a fireman."
Even though he believed that becoming a firefighter was his calling, Aguilar continued to play football, even if he no longer thought the game would be part of his future. Only after being asked by his would-be JUCO teammates to play did Aguilar reach out to the coach about joining the team.
“I was still throwing it around with the guys. I had a lot of teammates that were in JUCO and a lot of teammates that were in the Division I level. So I would go out there, we’ll run routes, play seven-on within ourselves. And then 2021 came around, they asked me to go play. I reached out to my JUCO coach, Coach Mike Darr at DVC (Diablo Valley College), and he said he would love to have me. I went out there and was a backup until Week 7, I believe, and became a starter there for the rest of that season. 2022, was a starter. Got an opportunity to go play at Appalachian State. So, culture change, but I loved it out there. App State’s home for me. I spent my last two seasons there, ’23, ’24. And this past season, I got granted an extra year of eligibility and I spent that in Tennessee. It was a blessing.”
Remarkable Journey
Going from basically letting go of football to making it all the way to the NFL is a testament to Aguilar's perseverance. Going from no scholarship offers to JUCO, progressing to Appalachian State before ultimately landing at an SEC-powerhouse like Tennessee is a remarkable journey.
That his first choice for a career outside of football was to become a firefighter shows the kind of young man the Jaguars have in Aguilar. Not only has Aguilar shown he is the type of high-character person all teams covet, but he has also been generating some buzz in his attempt to earn a roster spot as a backup to Trevor Lawrence.
Aguilar's upside should at least make him a lock for Jacksonville's practice squad if he doesn't initially crack the 53-man roster.
Final Thoughts
It's funny how life can turn out, or how one person's decision can have such an unintended impact on another. If QB Nico Iamaleava hadn't shockingly spurned the Volunteers before the start of last season, Aguilar never would have gotten a chance at Tennessee.
Without that opportunity, Aguilar may never have shown up on the NFL's radar. Now that he here, expect Aguilar to make the most of his shot with the Jaguars.
It looks like he already has a career lined up after his time in the NFL is over.
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