The imposing defensive tackle grew up in Monroe, a city of about 50,000 people just over four hours northwest of New Orleans. Growing up, he enjoyed classic Louisiana fare like étouffée and gumbo, and earned All-District honors twice at Neville High School, before heading 30 miles west and playing his college football at Louisiana Tech.
His life – as well as his location – changed dramatically in 2014 when the Oakland Raiders selected him in the fourth round (No. 107 overall) of the NFL Draft, and for the first time, the Louisiana native moved west.
For “Jelly,” moving out of his home state was a big transition, never mind the fact that there are few similarities between Northern Louisiana the Bay Area.