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Into his hands, the New York Jets defensive back hoped, while blocking out the 80,000 screaming fans at MetLife Stadium.
“Man, the whole time I was like, ‘Please! Good bounce, good bounce!’ ” Trufant said. “And then, it bounced good and I just took it. It was wild, man, just crazy.”
The well-traveled Trufant, promoted from the practice squad 24 hours earlier, completed one of the biggest plays of the Jets’ 27-24 season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night by returning Joe McKnight’s blocked punt 18 yards for a touchdown that tied it with 5 minutes left. It was a lucky bounce for a guy who has bounced around quite a bit while trying to pursue his NFL dream.
“He’s an amazing little guy,” coach Rex Ryan said, “and the more he plays – he just looks short to me – he doesn’t look small anymore. He did a great job.”
The diminutive Trufant – he’s generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds – graduated from Tacoma’s Wilson High, went undrafted out of Eastern Washington in 2006, then played in the Arena Football League and the United Football League. He now hopes he can stick in the NFL like big brother Marcus of the Seattle Seahawks.
“Man, it was a roller-coaster ride, really,” Trufant said. “You work hard every day to hopefully get that opportunity to be active and when you do, you’ve got to try to take advantage of the opportunity you have. I was just able to make a play off a great block.”
The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur to Trufant, who was in camp with the Philadelphia Eagles this summer, cut on Aug. 30 and signed by the Jets the next day – after taking a cross-country flight back home.
“That was a little bit rough,” he said. “I got in around midnight and then the next morning around 10 a.m., I received a call from the Jets to hop on the red-eye that same night and fly back to the East Coast. It was all appreciated and all worth it.”
Trufant’s head kept spinning, though, because he was waived by the Jets three days later, signed to the practice squad the following day and then elevated to the active roster on Saturday.
Ryan raved about Trufant’s effort, which earned him a game ball. And it wasn’t only about the return.
“The best play wasn’t the touchdown Trufant had, it was on a kick where he was the first guy down the field,” Ryan said. “Here’s a guy that is small for (high school) standards, and he ran down there, hits the wedge, there’s three blockers on him, and then he goes and makes the tackle.”
After a solid college career, Trufant played for Spokane, Kansas City and Arizona in the AFL before going to the UFL in 2009. He won two UFL championships with the Las Vegas Locomotives, and was selected as the league’s defensive MVP last fall. Trufant had a league-record four interceptions, including one in three consecutive games, along with 30 tackles and a fumble recovery.
That performance earned Trufant a shot with the Jets late last season, and he made his NFL debut in the regular-season finale against Buffalo. But he was waived in January and then had to wait out the lockout to see what the next step in his football journey would be.
“It’s pretty tough, just the reality of it,” said Trufant, who has one son and another on the way. “You’ve really got to hold onto your money because you never really know what could come from week to week, and having a family, that also takes a toll.”
Trufant has had several conversations with Marcus, a 2003 first-round pick out of Washington State University who is in his ninth NFL season and has encouraged Isaiah to keep pursuing his dream, no matter the circumstances. Performances like the one he had Sunday might finally allow him to call the NFL home.
“It has definitely been crazy, but I’m just riding the wave,” Isaiah Trufant said. “I’m just trying to do what I can to stay active and be prepared for whatever I need to do. I’m ready for anything.”
EXTRA POINTS
Veteran kicker Nick Novak agreed to a two-year contract with San Diego to replace injured Nate Kaeding, who tore a ligament in his left leg during the season’s opening kickoff, which Minnesota’s Percy Harvin returned 103 yards for a touchdown on Sunday. Kaeding went on injured reserve, and he will miss the rest of the season. … The Steelers put starting right tackle Willie Colon on the injured reserve list for the second consecutive year – this time with a torn triceps sustained in a season-opening loss to Baltimore. … After getting beat on a 99-yard touchdown pass from New England’s Tom Brady to Wes Welker on Monday night, veteran nickel back Benny Sapp got released by the Dolphins. … The Bills put receiver Marcus Easley on IR for the second consecutive year.
