Standing a few feet down from Washington head coach Steve Sarkesian, at the opening of the tunnel that lead out to a jam-packed Husky Stadium on game day, Jaydon Mickens shook his legs like a sprinter settling into the starting blocks.
Running onto the field Mickens waved his arms and Husky Stadium woofed back.
During games it was always easy to spot Mickens because of his signature midriff purple jersey but his ear-to-ear infectious smile was put away as he staked the Husky sideline hyping up his teammates.
Mickens’ signature midriff jersey stood out at Husky Stadium reminiscent of Washington defensive back Shane Pahukoa’s in the late 80s and early 90s.
However, in the spring of 2014, after Sarkisian’s departure, the standout receiver from Dorsey High School in the Baldwin Hills area southwest of downtown Los Angles, had meeting before with new Husky head coach Chris Petersen.
Petersen understood Mickens’ influence with his teammates. After the meeting the receiver took to social media said that he would no longer have his jersey rolled up.
He noted that his decision was out of respect for his new head coach and every player being equal.
There were many other ways which the 23rd best receiver for the class of could and would standout.
“The energy, the excitement, the passion,” former teammate DiAndre Campbell calls the “it” part of Mickens. “He brought it every day.”
Browning agreed adding, “you either have ‘that’ or you don’t.”
Campbell, the founder and CEO of Seattle-based athletic training Warrior Academy added, “Jaydon was a great teammate.”
Over his 4-year career in purple and gold Mickens played 53 games, starting 35.
His buy-in helped usher in the Petersen-era with his vocal leadership. He also helped the Huskies transition from Cyler Miles to Jake Browning the following season.
Petersen made Mickens a captain ahead of the receiver’s final season, which was Browning’s first. The former Husky signal-caller agrees with Campbell about Mickens “it factor”.
“Jaydon was always ready for competition,” the 6-year NFL veteran recalled. “I think as the stage got bigger he played better—which is hard to coach.”
Heading into the 2013 season, Mickens coined the moniker for him and his fellow speedy receivers, John Ross and Marvin Hall calling the trio the Legion of Zoom. The nickname was a tip of his cap to the Seattle Seahawks, defensive backfield known as “The Legion of Boom”.
The LOZ, as they all signed on autographs beginning that year along with a lightening bolt, helped to make Washington a destination for some of the top receivers in the country with signing several 4-star prospects after Ty Jones, Marquis Spiker, Austin Osborne, Rome Odunze, and Jalen McMillan.
He made it cool to be a Husky again.
Mickens, a high school All-American finished his career as the Huskies number 2 all-time in receptions at 203 before being passed by Rome Odunze 2 seasons ago. He currently sits at number seven in terms if receiving yards with 2,187 after finishing his UW career at fifth all-time.
“He had unmatched energy,” recalled Campbell. “He made it both competitive and fun because of his love for the game.”
His ever present smile was put away for three hours on Saturdays in the Autumn.
And his always ready attitude is reflected in the Washington record book where he became Mr. Consistency. He was never in the top 10 of the conference as a receiver but left as one of the best to play on Montlake.
Although he went undrafted after the 2015 season, Mickens’ ability to “always be ready”, as Browning said, has kept him in professional football for 8 of the last 9 years.
His passion for the game and never letting his teammates was something that was a part of his own NFL ambitions.
As storied as his Husky career was his NFL journey reads like a Hollywood movie. After not being drafted in 2016 he took a “sleep in faith” after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Not guaranteed a roster spot he took to sleeping in his car at night in the practice facility’s parking lot. To save even more money he showered and at his meals at the Jaguars’ facility.
“I’m from the ‘hood’,” he told reporters ahead of Tampa Bay’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl XV. “I’m from Manchester and Western [in Los Angeles], so I’ve been there. I’ve been there and I’ve seen it all and done it all, so I didn’t need nobody to help me out because I’ve done it all on my own.”
That rough neighborhood held all sorts of distractions, but they only served to keep some sort of athletic footwear on his feet. In addition to his time on the gridiron where he played quarterback, running back and wide, he also starred in track running the 100, 200, 4 x 100 all 4 years.
Coming out of Dorsey in 2011 he was the 23rd best receiver in the country behind the likes of Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper, among others. Offers from Washington, Oklahoma State, Cal, Oregon, USC, and Washington State, he chose to play for one of the great offensive minds, Steve Sarkisian.
Despite all that Mickens did for the Washington program, in addition to his on field accomplishments, he’s visually unknown to the newest generation of Husky players.
“Not even a picture on the wall or even the receiving room 💔 but I’m grateful for what we helped build and the real know 🙏🏾⚡️,” Mickens lamented on X.
Now 31 years old with Washington DC in the UFL, Mickens continues to make plays like he did on the Shores of Lake Washington.
“I remember he had a big game against Cal his sophomore year,” Campbell recalled. “He plays for us on offense and clutch plays on several 3rd downs.”
Maybe now’s the time to embrace the architect of The Legion of Zoom and his Husky legacy—one of the best to put on the Purple and Gold.
