LaJohntay Wester wasn’t exactly surprised by his 87-yard punt return for a tourchdown during Thursday’s preseason opener against the Colts. In fact, the Ravens‘ rookie sixth-round pick actually predicted that he would score a touchdown in his first-ever NFL game.
“I had a great joint practice with them a couple days ago, and I came close to breaking one in practice,” Wester said afterwards, per ESPN. “After that, I had called my dad and was just like, ‘I feel one coming [Thursday].'”
Wester’s words came to fruition on his second punt return late in the first quarter when he broke several tackles before finding a seam down the right sideline.
“He said he was gonna take one to the crib,” said Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell. “And he did it. But yeah, he’s an athlete, a great returner, obviously. He’s definitely going to make something in this league as a punt returner.”
The 5-foot-11 Wester is quickly making a name for himself in the NFL. He somehow made it to the sixth round of this year’s draft despite having a successful college career that included 31 touchdowns, 10 of which came during his only season at Colorado.
Wester (who also caught a 30-yard pass on Thursday night) was also an accomplished returner in college. During his junior year at Florida Atlantic, he led the American Conference in punt return yards and average yards per punt return. Last year, he returned a punt 76 yards for a score vs. Utah.
If Wester can continue to make plays on special teams, it’ll add yet another dimension to a Ravens team that is already brimming with talent.