JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -When Pete Ittersagen got his “rookie haircut” last week, it was difficult for him to look in the mirror.
There were crooked lines, stray hairs and little, if any, symmetry.
Ittersagen probably could have done a better job with a pair of garden shears. Or a hedge trimmer. Or maybe even a weed wacker.
The undrafted rookie cornerback spent the last seven years building a landscaping business just outside Chicago, in Wheaton, Ill. He started it in high school, continued it through college, and even though he sold it just after signing with the Jaguars, the deal allows him to take it back some day.
But Ittersagen doesn’t plan on returning to mowing lawns and pulling weeds.
every part of the game. I love the workouts, the sweat, the film study, listening to coach talk and the weight room. That’s where my passion lies. Even if the money was greater in lawn mowing, I wouldn’t pursue it.”
Ittersagen, nicknamed “Ice” by his coach and teammates, might have a shot at sticking around, too.
Although Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams are entrenched as starters, rookie Derek Cox appears to be the only other lock at cornerback.
Just being in training camp isn’t enough for Ittersagen, either.
“I do believe I can make it,” he said. “I understand the odds are against me, but I’m excited. I see myself getting better, which excites me even more. I’m not going to have any regrets when I leave this place, whether it’s in 10 years or I get cut this year. I’m going to do everything I can to make this team, and if I keep getting better, then who knows?”
Ittersagen’s determination and work ethic were developed at a young age.
“When I was young, my dad said, ‘Son, you want a bike, you’ve got to earn money and buy a bike. If you want a basketball hoop, you’ve got to earn money to pay for a hoop.’ So I’m like, ‘Well all right, I need to use your lawnmower.”’
it grew to three, then five. By the time he was 16, Ittersagen could see the potential in doing something few people enjoy, doing it well and charging a fair price.
Ittersagen eventually earned enough money to buy a trailer and all kinds of landscaping equipment. And when he started college about 180 miles away at Butler University in 2003, he kept the business going. He spent one year playing baseball at Butler before transferring back home to Wheaton.
“I missed (football),” he said. “There’s something unique about this game. If you haven’t played it, you can’t relate.”
Ittersagen was a four-year starter at Wheaton and a three-time Division III All-America selection. He had 252 career tackles, 60 passes defensed, and set a school record with nine career touchdown returns: five on punts, three on interceptions and one on a kickoff.
Having not been invited to the NFL combine, Ittersagen had to do all he could to attract attention. He attended his school’s pro day, then visited every team that would look at him. Jacksonville was one of them. Although the Jaguars didn’t draft him, they kept in contact and made sure he knew they wanted him here.
or school. Ittersagen declined to disclose how many lawns he was mowing a week or how much money the business was making.
There’s little doubt he would earn a whole lot more if he makes Jacksonville’s 53-man roster. He already has caught coach Jack Del Rio’s eye.
“He did a nice job competing in the spring,” Del Rio said. “Certainly, he’s an undrafted. The first thing is get an invitation to camp. He was worthy of an invitation to camp. He’s here. Now, he’s getting a chance to work at it.”
Ittersagen hasn’t completely left behind his other trade, though. Every time he walks on Jacksonville’s practice fields, he can’t help but think about the guys doing the often-unappreciated dirty work.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s a lot better than a Division III practice field. It almost makes me want to bring out my pitching wedge. That grass is unreal. I don’t even know the groundskeepers by name, but every time I see them, I tell them I appreciate their work.”
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