Notre Dame EDGE Javontae Jean-Baptiste has quite the pre-draft story. Jean-Baptiste dealt with the flu and lost 20 pounds while participating at the Senior Bowl. The former Ohio State transfer then had food poisoning at the NFL Combine and was running to the bathroom in between drills! Talk about adversity.
Jean-Baptiste recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about overcoming adversity (in general), the decision to transfer to Notre Dame, his pass-rush arsenal, which teams are showing interest in his services, and more.
JM: It's been quite the pre-draft process for you. You had the flu before your scheduled participation at the East-West Shrine and I believe you ended up at Senior Bowl instead. You lost like 20 pounds and your first activity after the flu was that first Senior Bowl practice. You had lost 20 pounds! What was that experience like?
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: It was a little hectic for sure (laughs). I was like, okay, this is unfortunate, but I can’t get down about it. I can’t get in my head about it. I still have to make the most of my opportunity.
I was down for the count. I was lying around for an entire week. I wasn’t even able to move. I was barely eating. I was just trying to get my body back in the mix. It was hard on my body. I felt a little weaker.
You can get through anything with a strong mindset. That’s how I decided to approach it. It was a learning experience at the end of the day.
JM: The adversity didn't stop for you there. You had food poisoning the night before the NFL Combine! I mean, this is crazy. You still ran a mid-4.6 at 240 pounds. You had a great combine all things considered. Those must have been a crazy 24 hours.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: This is what happened. I was going through medicals in the morning. I had to go back to the hospital to get another MRI. While I was waiting for my MRI, I bought four slices of pizza from this little pizza place in the hospital.
I came out of my MRI and felt like my stomach was a little messed up (laughs). I get to the NFLPA meeting and my stomach is going crazy! I ran to the bathroom with diarrhea. We’re getting to the interview process a little bit later and I have to run to the bathroom again.
I couldn’t eat or drink anything for the rest of the night. I wasn’t even drinking water in the interviews because I was worried I’d have to run to the bathroom again. I headed to the X3 facility I had been working out. I did my recovery. I didn’t get to bed until midnight. I woke up at 5:30 and I was still going to the washroom. I started throwing up that morning as well.
It was a crazy, long morning. I took some Imodium to try and settle my stomach. I think I consumed about four and a half bottles of Pedialyte that morning. I was just trying to get some liquids back in me (laughs).
I ended up weighing about 240. I was thinking, can you imagine what I would have weighed if I didn’t drink those Pedialytes (laughs)? It would have been ridiculous. I was running to the bathroom in between measurements.
I got on the field. I ran back to the bathroom after doing my vertical and broad jumps. I started praying to God that I could get through the 40 without an incident (laughs). I just thank God I got through the day.
The past month hasn’t been easy. It’s made for a strange, unique pre-draft process so far. At the end of the day, I had to make the best of the opportunity. I can’t control the things I can’t control. I’m blessed to be where I am today and I can’t dwell on it.
JM: What a crazy story. I’m happy you got through it. I want to transition to your on-field skills. You posted a career-high 5.0 sacks at Notre Dame this season. How do you look back on the decision to transfer from Ohio State?
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: I look back on things and say I made the best decision for me. I made a good move. I believe that move is the reason I earned an invite to the NFL Combine, the Senior Bowl, and things of that nature.
Leaving Ohio State wasn’t easy. I love my guys over there. I love coach Ryan Day. I love that entire staff. I was looking forward to playing for coach Freeman at Notre Dame. I already had some great connections on staff.
I took my time learning the playbook. I put my best foot forward. The hardest part about that move was Notre Dame’s academics. There’s a drastic difference between doing school at Notre Dame and somewhere else.
Aside from that, I made a successful transition.
JM: You made a great move. How would you describe your pass rush arsenal? What led to the five sacks this year?
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: I stayed patient this season. I had a better plan to attack my opponents. I have an explosive first step. I know how to utilize my speed. I also feel like the power aspect of my game is underrated. I can surprise blockers with power. I keep opponents guessing.
JM: With the NFL Combine now in the rearview mirror, do you have any upcoming Top 30 Visits or virtual team meetings?
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: I’ll be attending the local days for the New York Giants and New York Jets. I’ll also be at the Chicago Bears local day since I went to Notre Dame. I recently met with the Cardinals and Giants on Zoom as well.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We've appreciated your time today. What kind of impact is Javontae Jean-Baptiste going to make at the next level?
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: When you turn on the tape, you’ll see a prospect that’s going to be a quality contributor to your team. I play with a ton of heart and passion. I’m a sideline-to-sideline guy.
I play with terrific intensity. I’m going to be a leader. I’m somebody that enjoys encouraging and pushing my teammates. That’s why a team should draft Javontae Jean-Baptiste.
