Jaguar Profiles: Tiquan Underwood, rookie receiver, #19

by Daniel Goncalves, photos by Daniel Goncalves
Q: Tiquan, you went to Rutgers and you’re from NJ. What do you miss the most?
A: I miss my family the most. I was raised by my aunt and uncle. Being back home with my family and my friends. A lot of them are in the NFL as rookies right now going through the same process that I am. So I speak with them, text message them all the time, just trying to stay close to them.
Q: You get to Jacksonville, where’s the first place you ate?
A: I got picked up from the airport and got taken to extended stay. It was very cozy.
Q: Do you have a favorite restaurant in Jacksonville yet?
A: I’ve eaten at a place called “Soul Food Express.” A lot of guys from the team go there. It was very good. I also like a place called the “Chicken Koop,” I’ve eaten a lot of wings from there. Derek Cox here like the lemon pepper wings. I like to go with the same.
Q: What type of food do you like?
A: I try to stay away from fast food and the fried foods. Coming here we have a great strength and conditioning instructor, Luke Richesson, and his wife comes in and helps us with our diet. Coming from college I had that “college” kind of diet but I’m getting better.
Q: Do you have any nicknames?
A: For short they call me “Ti”(pronounced tie), Coach Tice calls me “Skinny,” Reggie Nelson calls me, “lil hammis,” because I always take care of my hamstrings.
Q: What do you do to unwind?
A: I like to go to the movies and to go bowling, just hang out with my friends.
Q: Are you a good bowler?
A: I’m decent. I don’t do the curve, I just go straight down the lane.
Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
A: Oh man, I’m very versatile, I’m into a lot of different genres of music. From R&B, rap, pop, rock, as long as it has a nice beat I can listen to it.
Q: What’s the last concert you’ve been to?
A: Actually…I’ve never been to a concert. Jaime Fox just came through and I missed it. I’m gonna definitely catch one down here.
Q: First job?
A: I was actually in high school. Football summer camp at school. Once you play it, it’s easy to teach the young kids.
Q: Your dream comes true, you’re in the NFL, you’ve worked so hard and now you’re arrived. Give me one word to describe the feeling when you first stepped on an NFL team?
A: Amazing. Coming through that smoke. I was on the field for the opening kickoff, that feeling that you get, amazing. You can’t describe it. I’ve been in big games in college, but to finally be at the NFL level, it’s the top. The best of the best. No better feeling.
Q: What was your rookie haircut inspired by and who did it to you?
A: It was Clint and Reggie Nelson. They put a 25 on the back of my head. Stripes on the sides and a bit of bald in the front. It was pretty bad and I had to wear it for a good little while along with all the other rookies…it was pretty bad. I’m just happy that’s over.
Q: Are you into social media?
A: I’m a pretty private person. I don’t have a facebook, or myspace or twitter. I jut try to keep to my inner circle, my friends. There’s positives to those things but there’s also negatives so I just try to stay out of, you know what I mean?

Thanks Ti for spending time with us and we wish you a very successful career in Jacksonville!