Jagger Nieves 2A Player of the Year | Senior Running Back / Linebacker

Jagger Nieves
2A Player of the Year | Senior Running Back / Linebacker
Season: 3,228 All-Purpose Yards ~ 320 Points (State Record) ~ 48 Touchdowns (State Record) 2,088 Rush Yards (1st in State) ~ 40 Rush TDs (State Record) ~ 93 Tackles ~ 10 Tackles for Loss
Career: 554 Points (2nd Utah All-Time) ~ 86 Touchdowns (2nd Utah All-Time) 66 Rushing Touchdowns (3rd Utah All-Time)

Head Coach Barkley Christensen: “Back-to-back Player of the Year! What else is there to say about Jagger? It’s easy to look at him and think how good this kid has it. He is big, strong, fast, physical, he has about every trait you would want as a football player. Not only that, but he broke two state records this season – most rushing touchdowns in a season with 40 and total touchdowns in a season with 48.
“But this award, those traits, and the state records were not just handed to him. Ask any of Jagger’s teammates or anyone closely involved in our football program. He has earned everything he has received. He is the hardest worker in the room and he sacrificed a lot to get to where he is. Jag wakes up every morning at 5 a.m. and lifts. He has been doing this since his sophomore year when he got his license to this day.
“Every day on the practice field I felt like Jagger was playing for a state championship. He never took a practice off; he competed like it was his last game, even in just a Thursday pregame walk-through-type practice. What most people don’t know is that Jagger sprained the AC joint in his shoulder week one. It was a grade 2-3 sprain which would sideline most players for a couple of weeks. Jagger refused to sit out. We would try to make him sit out of practices and drills and he would sneak into them because he didn’t want to miss anything in his senior year. He battled that injury pretty much all year but never let it effect his play on the field.
“Jagger doesn’t talk much and is not a super vocal leader. He usually leads by example, but when times got tough and Jagger got in guys’ faces to challenge them, they always responded. He was the ultimate team leader and we would all follow him because he earned that right. We will never be able to replace Jagger on the field. He was a rare combination of size and speed. Jagger could run up the middle and run you over, run on the edges and run away from you, or we could line him up at slot and he would run a great route and catch the ball with his elite wide receiver-type hands.
“Jagger finished the year with a school record and state-leading 2,088 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns. He also had 45 receptions for 731 yards and seven touchdowns. He also was 2-for-3 passing for 51 yards and one touchdown. For All-Purpose yards this season he earned 2,088 rushing, 731 receiving, 290 kick return, 118 punt return, and one interception return yard for 3,228 total yards. That is 248 yards per game which led the state for running backs. On defense Jagger led our team in tackles with 93 (ten for loss). He also had one sack and one interception. Jagger is truly one of the best players to ever play football in Utah State history. Congratulations on a great career, Jag! You earned this back-to-back MVP award!”