Jaxson Dart's mom stole the show on NFL Draft night... but she's also his secret weapon at the New York Giants
It emerged that the plan in New York is to sit quarterback Dart for his rookie season, with the former Ole Miss quarterback taking a spot behind Jameis Winston and No. 1 starter Russell Wilson at MetLife.
But the Giants clearly have big plans for Dart in the future after trading back into the first round to get the 21-year-old with the 25th pick. And as he gets to grips with life in the NFL (and in the Big Apple), lessons from his mom in upsetting the odds could prove to be his making in the longer terms.
'For so many years now, he has not felt comfortable. We have a phrase at our house - you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Because so much of life is that,' Kara said in an interview with Ole Miss Rebels YouTube channel late last year.
In that discussion, she reflected on Dart's move to Ole Miss from USC and his early struggles in adapting to life under his new head coach, Lane Kiffin.
'You never felt relaxed, he was very aware of every stat,' Kara said. 'It was a grind but he knew what he wanted and he wasn't going to give it up.
'Yes, in the end you say hindsight, every one of those experiences made him better but when you're in it and you have this uphill battle it is frustrating, scary and daunting at times. Looking back he is better because of it.'
Dart himself has spoken about his mother's influence - especially when it comes to playing smart and staying safe as a quarterback.
He told GQ last August: 'Honestly, when I'm on the field, I hate sliding. I hate just going down. I always like to give a little shoulder or do something to get a few extra yards.
'But my mom is definitely the hardest one about me sliding. I'll go see her, give her a hug, and she'll try to hype me up. But after every little interaction, she always reminds me to slide. That's her go-to every single time.
'If she thinks I didn't hear it when I walk away, she'll make sure to scream it even louder.'
Kara was sat in the stands when Jaxson made his first ever appearance at college level while he was at USC in 2021 against Washington State. He got thrown into the deep end when starting quarterback Kedon Slovis got hurt in the first quarter.
'My first instinct was, oh my gosh, I think I'm going to vomit,' Kara said in reflection of the game.
'And then my mind goes through all of the pieces. The fact that it's pouring rain, which is probably not ideal for your first game, just being a true freshman and all of it.
Kara is set to spend more time in New York now her son is a quarterback for the Giants
'My mind went to all of that, but then it also goes to the other side of things where I know how much he's prepared, I know how hard he works. I know that he's a fierce competitor, so for him in his brain he wanted to be in the game.
'We've talked about it, each game, how to balance the grit and the drive without making yourself go crazy. So I knew in his brain he felt ready to be in the game. In that sense, you have some peace. So my mind's going through all of this.'
But things couldn't have gone much better for Jaxson that day, setting a USC record for most passing yards in a Trojans debut. He completed 30 of 46 passes for 391 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions as USC won 45-14.
It's perhaps a good omen if he finds himself on the field for the Giants in 2025.
Kara's influence doesn't just impact Dart's decisions on the field, either. He told GQ that she also helps him make the right fashion decisions.
'My mom's into it, and she's done a great job of letting me choose and find things that I like and just giving me options,' Dart said. 'At the same time, it's just something that I've come to really love and to express myself in different ways. She worked at Nordstrom growing up, so she's always been a part of it.'
Dart will be backing up Super Bowl winner Wilson, 36, who signed a one-year deal for the blue half of New York. So as it stands, there's at least a possibility that Dart takes over from him in 2026, although Jameis Winston is on a two-year Giants deal.
'It's hard for him to be on the sideline. That is just a hard thing for him,' Kara said back in 2021 after Jaxson made his USC debut.
But for now, he will have to make peace with it.
Giants GM Joe Schoen explained last week: 'Jaxson's going to come in, he's got to learn the offense, there's a lot to learn, these NFL offenses are hard to grasp and pick up and then be able to go out and execute, so the ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros already will be beneficial for him.
'And again, still, injuries occur, you know we've played seven quarterbacks over the last two years, so he's going to have to prepare like he's going to have to play.
'So again you want him to come in, develop a routine, learn how to be a pro, learn how to study the game, and then if his number's called and he has to go out and execute, he's going to need to be ready.'
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