In his rookie year, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart received plenty of criticism for taking a lot of hits and getting injured throughout the season. He was evaluated for a concussion a whopping five times in a ten-game span. Recently, he may have revealed where that sense of aggression might come from.
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During his appearance on Ross Tucker’s podcast, Dart explained that his ability to take hits stems from his history as a linebacker. While in high school at Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah, he played both offense and defense. Of course, he was a standout on the offensive side of the ball, but he could also hold his own defensively.
In fact, Dart shared that he received his first offer to play linebacker at his local college, the Utah Utes.
“Actually, funny story. My first college offer was to play at the University of Utah for linebacker,” Dart said on the Ross Tucker Podcast.
The current-day Giants QB only ever registered 7 tackles in three seasons of playing defense at the varsity level. But he did get a sack, tackle for loss, two pass deflections, and he snagged two interceptions. He also caused a fumble that he recovered and returned for 45 yards.
But could he have really taken his career to the next level if he had gone into college as a linebacker?
“I mean, I’m confident in myself, I feel like I could’ve done it… Maybe I’m not coming off the edge, but I’m playing in that box,” Dart said.
“My first college offer was to play (linebacker) at the University of Utah…”
“I feel like I could have done it.”
Giants QB @JaxsonDart thinks he could’ve had an NFL career at LINEBACKER: pic.twitter.com/tMkMGSxaG3
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) March 3, 2026
It’s hard to imagine Dart playing on defense. But if he added another 15 to 20 pounds to his frame, we could see him as a Luke Kuechly-type linebacker, a cerebral player who was always in the right spots and wasn’t afraid to lay the boom.
Dart also played baseball in high school while in Utah. He was a two-time all-state selection, hitting five home runs over two seasons on varsity.
All in all, Dart was an excellent and versatile athlete growing up. He was mostly known as a great quarterback who eclipsed 10,000 career passing yards and threw 117 TD passes in high school. Yet he also played defense, where he seemingly learned to be more aggressive and not just take hits, but deliver them. This mentality has carried over to the offensive side, and in the NFL, it could one day seriously hurt him.
Dart doesn’t seem to care about getting injured, though. He said in the same interview that it’s how he plays the game, and he doesn’t know how to play it any other way. So don’t expect to see him consistently sliding anytime soon, as others at his position do.
