It’s a dream come true for kids to see their idols in action up close. As a young Jaxson Dart cheered his favorite QB, Russell Wilson, from the stands, he couldn’t have known someday he would get to stand in the same room as his idol. But that Super Bowl game of February 2014 is far behind us. Jaxson Dart’s now in a QB room with his hero, with two others giving it their all for the team. That childhood dream has come true. And now, Dart has a bigger dream. To compete with Wilson and stand out in the Giants’ QB room.

Jaxson Dart walks into a QB room packed with unmatched talent. Coming up behind Russell Wilson as the QB1, Jameis Winston as the backup, and of course, Tommy DeVito. DeVito had shown much promise in the 2023 season, but his last season wasn’t anything to write home about. It made sense that the Giants brought in two veterans to take over the reins and also added fresh talent to develop this year. And that fresh talent is on a mission of his own.

Walking into a QB room with so much experience could have been intimidating for any rookie. But Jaxson Dart’s not just any rookie. He’s the guy who redefined what it means to be a QB for Ole Miss. In a recent YouTube video posted by SI, Jaxson Dart talked about his experience with the Giants so far. When talking about Wilson, Winston, and DeVito, the Ole Miss icon shared his excitement for working with all three. But beyond that excitement, he’s ready to learn from them as much as possible. “Our sole focus as a quarterback room is to win games. … that’s what we come to work every single day to do. We want to win. So, we all have the same focus. We have the same intent of what we’re doing and how we’re trying to handle it and make the team better.”

The end goal for the whole Giants QB room? Well, to win games and bring home the Lombardi Trophy. Jaxson Dart had already made his feelings known with a strong “So it doesn’t matter where you’re at on the depth chart – I want to make the team better, and that’s my focus.”  And now, talking about the QB room, that same drive is evident stronger than ever before. There is a competition, but the veterans are helping Dart grow. “So, obviously, you’re competing, but … those guys, they’ve been in my shoes. – they were rookies once, too. So, they understand the growing pains and … just the adjustment from learning a new system so fast – So, they’ve just been great assets for me of giving me advice and, you know, I have a great corner with those guys, so I’m going to continue to lean on them.”

And it’s not just the QBs Jaxson Dart is learning from. He’s also doubling down with the coaches, especially HC Brian Daboll. He had already impressed the HC long before his name was called. And now, he will do everything he can to keep the streak going.

Jaxson Dart on HC Brian Daboll

When talking about the coaching staff, Jaxson Dart’s respect knew no bounds. Talking about Brian Daboll, Dart said, “It’s been just a privilege to get to play for him. There’s not another coach I’d rather be playing for. – He’s coached every single position, so he understands it through and through. And I just … love his intensity. I love the way he coaches – this is where I wanted to be.” And it shows. Jaxson has an air about him, like he already knows every inch of the playbook. Even his pre-draft meeting with Daboll and QB coach Shea Tierney left them impressed. But was it as easy as the Ole Miss standout made it look, throwing instant answer darts?

HC Brian Daboll likes to be prepared. It’s the same with how he wants his players to be. To get a “good job buddy,” from him is a big deal. And it certainly wasn’t easy. As Jaxson Dart put it, “you better be prepared going into a Daboll meeting cause it’s intense – he definitely wants to get the most out of you. I would say if you’re not prepared, don’t step into the meeting cause you’re going to get grilled.” So how did he handle it? Well, he came prepared. As he said, “I was ready for it. So, they threw all that they could at me and I was able to handle it the best way that I could. And, you know, I think that just shows … how intentional and how dedicated that coaching staff is to this process and finding the right guy.”

For the Giants, it looks like they’ve certainly found the right guy. As he learns from the veterans and brings out the best in himself, fans are eager to see how his development will show out on the gridiron. This isn’t the same kid who dreamt about meeting Russ. He’s grinding, working out the playbook. And who knows, someday soon, he might surpass his childhood hero.