Terry McLaurin is loved by Commanders coaches, players and fans… but McLaurin wasn’t always loved by one big-name coach of his.
In only the first day of workouts for the Commanders 2022 training camp, McLaurin is already receiving high praise from head coach Ron Rivera.
“Just watching Terry [McLaurin] go deep and catching the ball the way he did and going after it and making the plays, if anybody’s wondering why we did [his contract], that’s to me is the perfect example of why we did it,” Rivera said.
McLaurin wasn’t even drafted until the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft (No. 76 overall). Now, 3.5 years later, it is hard to imagine that actually 11 other receivers were drafted before the Ohio State Buckeye in that draft.
The night he was drafted it was said McLaurin was going to contribute on special teams his rookie year, and they believed he could grow to contribute as a wide receiver in the years to come.
But when the 2019 training camp began, coaches knew immediately McLaurin was not only a starter, but the best receiver they had on the roster. Former head coach Jay Gruden, as a result, did not play McLaurin during the preseason, determined not to risk anything in the preseason.
Former Ohio State wide receiver coach Zach Smith recently told of how high schoolers came to a Buckeye football camp. Following the workouts, head coach Urban Meyer asked if there was any camper there Ohio State caliber.
Smith replied, “Coach, I’ve got one that I want to offer.” However, Meyer who had watched the drills that morning wasn’t convinced, objecting he himself had coached receivers, and there was not a receiver there who can play at that level.
Meyer had Smith bring McLaurin to his office, but told McLaurin he disagreed with Smith’s evaluation. He told McLaurin he needed to catch 200 balls a day, then return to the Ohio State Friday Night Lights. Smith tells of how McLaurin, a high schooler, was not shaken or soft. He replied, “‘Bet. I got you, coach.’ Walked out. Not pissed off. Not feelings hurt. He went home and caught 200 balls a day.”
When McLaurin returned, it was visible he had worked on catching the ball, so Meyer offered him. Smith recalled, “Kid committed on the spot, the rest is history. He came in for five years and grinded his face off and left Ohio State a great player.” Here is the fuller, descriptive video of Smith sharing the story.
In fairness to Meyer, five years later, seeing how McLaurin had grown and developed, Meyer said of McLaurin, “He’s one of my favorites of all time.”
McLaurin has worked hard his three years in Washington and it has paid off resulting in 3,090 receiving yards on 222 receptions, 13.9 yards per reception and 16 receiving touchdowns.
Considering Washington’s struggles at quarterback during McLaurin’s three seasons, many are optimistic regarding what McLaurin might accomplish with the strong arm of Carson Wentz.