It's an exciting time for pass-rusher Joshua Josephs. He just got drafted by the Washington Commanders with the 147th overall pick, and he's just a couple of weeks away from starting his professional career and meeting his new teammates.
But it won't be an entirely new experience for Josephs. He's already met at least one of his new teammates -- quarterback Jayden Daniels -- although the introduction wasn't exactly a pleasant one for the signal-caller.
"Shoutout to him," Josephs said. "I got my first collegiate sack on him."
The play came in Week 6 of the 2022 season, when Daniels, who had just transferred from Arizona State, and LSU hosted Tennessee. The Tigers were 4-1 heading into that game, having outscored their opponents 178-74 in that span. Daniels, who went on to complete 68.6% of his passes with 28 total touchdowns that season, was already starting to show flashes of the player he would become.
But Josephs, who was a freshman at the time, and the Volunteers made sure the Tigers knew they weren't going to have their way against them.
The play came with two minutes left in the first quarter. Tennessee had already built a 14-0 lead, and Daniels was looking to start the drive off on a positive note. Daniels dropped back and began surveying his options, but the Volunteers didn't give him much time to dissect their coverage. The defensive tackle shot through the "B" gap, which drew the attention of the left guard and tackle. It left the middle of LSU's protection wide open, and Josephs, who ran directly behind the defensive tackle, had a clear lane to Daniels on the sack.
Josephs said he was "too ecstatic" to say anything to Daniels since it was the first of his career, but there wasn't much to say anyway.
"I think that was my first play in that game, and I think it was the first play of the drive and just it happened, fell into my lap."
The play resulted in a loss of seven yards, putting LSU in a second-and-17. The Tigers only gained 20 net yards on the drive and later turned the ball over on downs, which resulted in another Tennessee touchdown one play later.
Tennessee ended up winning 40-13 -- LSU's largest loss of the season and the only time Daniels-led Tigers offense was held to fewer than 23 points. Josephs said "we put belt..." but didn't finish the phrase.
But all that is in the past now, because Josephs is now part of the Commanders family and is determined to help reignite their pass rush. Daniels can attest to Josephs' effectiveness, and Josephs himself believes he can help his new team immediately.
"I set standards high for myself, so I believe I'll be able to make a very dominant impact on that field and just contribute to the success of our team."
