Rookie LB Jamien Sherwood is ready to adjust with the New York Jets

Moving from the south to the New York Jets will take some adjustments, but now-linebacker Jamien Sherwood is already used to some elements.

This week has not marked the first time that Jamien Sherwood has donned a New York Jets helmet. This one, however, won’t be so pixelated.

Sherwood claimed he used the team when it came to virtual gridiron endeavors through the Madden franchise.

Tidbits from Jets rookie Jamien Sherwood:

-He used to play with the Jets in Madden.
-His favorite color growing up was green, so he's loving the Jets color.

— Robby Sabo (@RobbySabo) May 8, 2021

Things got real for Sherwood this week, as he partook in his first official metropolitan activities in the Jets’ rookie minicamp. Sherwood was chosen in the fifth round, 146th overall, out of Auburn last Saturday, and joined other New York first-year players in their debut activities at 1 Jets Drive.

The shift to Florham Park will be one of the adjustments for Sherwood. Listed as a safety during the lead-up to the NFL draft in Cleveland, the Jets’ official roster now has him registered as a linebacker.

It’s a lot to put on a first-year player, but Sherwood made it clear in his opening statements that he was more than up for the challenge, even if the Jets’ playbook is far more “detailed” than anything he worked with at Auburn.

“One of the strong points in my game is getting in the playbook. I take it seriously,” Sherwood told reporters. He also explained that immediate transparency from the Jets has helped ease the move. “That transition from safety to linebacker hasn’t really been much of an issue. Before (the Jets) even drafted me, we had our talks with each other, that I was going to be a linebacker if I came to the Jets.”

Sherwood’s ability to work with defends in the middle of the field and a build capable of covering tight ends made him an attractive option to the Jets in the draft and a prime candidate to see a position shift. The Jets focused on offense during the early portions of the draft but used all but one of their Saturday picks of defenders.

Sherwood’s arrival should bolster a unit that has dealt with medical absences in each of the last two seasons, namely big-ticket addition C.J. Mosley. New York was also perhaps attracted to Sherwood’s experience in the 4-3, which Auburn ran under defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.

Considering Sherwood’s Jensen Beach, FL roots, the kid is just one of many who’ll have to adjust to their new northeast environment. Temperatures have hovered in the 50s as Sherwood and his rookie compatriots have made their debut. It commences another transition for the newly minted linebacker, who has spent his entire football career in the scorching temperatures of the South.

Jensen Beach, a town characterized by hot, humid summers, Sherwood played his college games at Jordan-Hare Stadium. His final collegiate home game in December against Texas A&M was played amongst the same weekend forecasts he’s seen in Florham Park, NJ.

Sherwood, who called a game during his freshman year at Jensen Beach High School that was played “under the 10s,” said that adjusting to the weather is all part of the NFL process.

“I already heard about it from people down south who are from New York. They told me it gets cold,” he said. “I got to layer up, do what I got to do. At the end of the day, I’m in the National Football League, so I have to prepare for whatever’s thrown at me.”

As coincidence would have it, Saturday’s rookie minicamp session began outdoors but was quickly moved inside once the rain dumped on the practice field. And the climate was anything but hot and humid.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags