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This Cover Story originally appeared in Boardroom’s Fall Issue print magazine and has been adapted for online publication.
Justin Jefferson knows how to captivate an audience. We see it every week on the field when the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver plays with as much swagger as he does skill. We see it in the young fans who want to emulate their favorite player’s style and confidence. And we definitely see it when he walks into Boardroom’s studios in New York on a summer evening: After a long day of other obligations, he’s more energized than ever.
The camera loves Jefferson as much as the fans do: His Matrix-inspired style for our cover shoot feels effortless, and his energy is so infectious in person that one immediately wants to root for him. Ahead of his seventh season with the Vikings, Jefferson sits down with Boardroom’s Taylor Rooks to talk about the expectations he sets for himself, his peers in the industry, and what it means to be a cultural crossover.
Taylor Rooks: It’s always so good to see you, Justin. My first thought was, OK, how is he going to blind me today? That’s always my first question when I see you. We don’t have the chains today…
It’s tucked underneath.
Normally you stack two Cubans [during games]. What is the science behind the jewelry decisions?
I don’t really think there’s a science behind it. It’s really about however I feel. And obviously during the game, I wear my tennis chains because it’s lighter, not really too heavy, and I always got to have that sparkle. So I got to have something around my neck at all times.
Tell me about that, the sparkle. What does it mean to be Justin Jefferson?
I feel like it just makes me stand out more. Obviously, seeing it on the field, you kind of take a second look at it like, Oh, what he got on and what’s catching my eye? So that’s something I’ve always kind of aimed around as I got into the league. And I feel like the more I started wearing the chains, the more everybody else started wearing the chains. Now I feel like it’s become a normal thing to wear chains in the league. So maybe I got to switch it up and do something a little bit different.
I think what you’re really saying is in many ways you started a trend. Does it feel like that to you, that you were one of the first of this generation to decide to be flashy in a way that you didn’t feel like you had to tamper down for your game?
Yeah, in the way that I’m doing it. You can go back to so many different athletes wearing different chains and jewelry on the field, but the tennis chains and that sparkle underneath the shoulder pads, I feel like it really wasn’t that big of a thing until I started to really wear it. And having the chains showing on Thursday night football, Monday night, it catches people’s eyes. It’s more talked about when I’m wearing it. It’s not much talked about when other people are wearing it, but when I’m wearing it, they’re pointing it out, they’re talking about it on TV and making it a key talking point.
How do you see that translate to kids outside of actually looking like you?
For sure. It’s crazy to really see how far my game, my life has come. Just to really think about as a little kid of me dreaming to be a superstar to kids looking up to me and wanting to be like me, dressing like me, trying to dance like me. And it’s really a great feeling. Something that’s so surreal to really think about—being at Fanatics earlier and seeing the different kids and the enjoyment in their face when they see me. They think I’m not real. So when they see me in person for the first time, it’s like an “Oh, my God” moment for them. And to capture that look on their face is something that’s really, really cool.
Yeah, because it also means you mean something to them.
For sure. A lot more than that. At that moment, all they’re thinking about is me. And that’s kind of also why I take that time out to give them that moment, to touch them, to give them a smile, to dance with them, to make them feel like they’re right there.. And it’s something that can last a lifetime. So I try to interact with kids as much as possible, even though it’s hard.
A few years ago, we sat together, and we watched your old high school film. Some places had you as a two-star recruit. Some had you as zero stars. Now you’re a superstar. How do you make sense of that evolution?
I feel like everyone has a journey. My journey was different than my two older brothers’. They paved the way to allow me to be the player and the person that I am today. They pushed me to limits that I never imagined [myself] to be at. I was crying, pouting, and being a little kid wanting to play the game and to be with my friends.But they saw something different in me that I didn’t see at the time…Every single day I wake up and just think about how blessed I am to witness the things that I’ve witnessed, being in the same circles as a lot of greats and legends that I’ve looked up to my entire life. But it’s just really all of the hard work that I put in, out of the sacrifices of not being with my friends, not being with my family, not having fun, you want to call it as a little kid, but understanding my life. It was well, well, well pictured out well before I even thought about it.
My favorite part about you as a receiver is that you are a showman. Which wide receiver, not necessarily the best receiver, but which wide receiver that you watched was the best showman?
Odell [Beckham Jr.]. 100%. Odell was No. 1.
What was it about him?
Everything. His swagger, his hair, from everybody dyeing the hair blonde, from the dance moves he was doing, from the swag. Being in New York, he’s the nationally televised person. And doing the things that he has done, the one-handers, all of those different things kind of played a part. And he was my brother coming from LSU, so it was just kind of a family tie in that aspect. He’s pretty much the most famous football player that has ever been.
Because he transcended in a lot of ways. It was like the fashion he had, the hair. And similar to you, there’s just parts about him that are a statement.
That’s what makes him him. And it’s nothing that anybody can do to imitate that…It’s more than football. It’s more of an entertainment, giving the fans what they want to see, because that’s what makes you more of a superstar. And it’s a full package. You can’t be a superstar by just balling on the field. You got to be a superstar on and off the field.
With the NFL, there are a lot of rules, there’s restrictions, there’s things you can and cannot do. Do you wish there was a little more theater allowed when you were out on the field?
100%. I hate that the NFL is as strict as it is. With as much entertainment we give, with as much as people are really tuned into the game, I feel like it should be a lot less strict, a lot less formal. It should just be more of a, you go out there and do what you got to do.
Dance. Taunt. Have your uniform the way you want to have it.
Have cleats on however color you want to have them. I feel like that kind of makes the game less fun than what it should be. We only have 17 opportunities plus playoffs. So why not let us just go through with it, do what we got to do.
Speaking of that catch that you made against Buffalo in 2022, is there any other receiver that can make that catch?
No, not in that moment [4th and 18, down 27–23 with two minutes on the clock]. There’s definitely a lot of talented receivers. I’ve seen a lot of crazy catches from the guys that are in the league — from Puka, from Ja’Marr, from Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But during that moment, it was my third year in the league. It’s not like it was my eighth, ninth; I’m a vet. With Josh Allen, with Stefon Diggs on the other side, Gabe Davis, all of these different guys that’s on the other side of the field. Kirk coming to me during that two-minute warning like, Look, we got to go to you. We can’t go to nobody else. You the guy and it’s all up to you. And for me to have that type of catch during that moment, and also for us to win the game, that’s what makes it more spectacular than just the catch alone.
What are you thinking about right now? You’re reminiscing on the catch.
I’m definitely reminiscing because you have to be in the moment. You had to be there to really feel it. And to also see my teammates’ reaction to the catch, what makes it even better. It definitely felt like a superhero moment. I couldn’t be stopped. I had the red light blinking, X-Factor.
Is catching the ball more about ability or belief?
That’s a great question. I feel like it’s a mixture of both. God gave me good hands, but you have to work on your hand-eye coordination. You have to work on just the difficult situations that you might be in, adjusting and strengthening your eye muscles to allow you to really track the ball. It’s way deeper than just going out there and just playing catch with the football. That’s what kind of separates the good from the great. Confidence is the main thing about catching a ball. You have to have confidence.
I think there’s this false idea that every single one in that position feels like they can perform in the biggest moment.
No way. It’s not true. It’s that select few that make you say, “That is what it means to be elite.”
In 2024, you signed a four-year deal worth $140 million [$110 million guaranteed] that made you the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. A report said you declined a contract offer from the Vikings before the 2023 season that would have paid a lot of money, and instead bet on yourself and the bet paid off. Walk me through the nerve that it takes to turn down money because you know that you are who you are.
I had a great support system around me—my family, my agency, all of the different people that helped me along the way. But at the end of the day, I always have confidence in myself to overcome any obstacle. And during that time, the contract language wasn’t the right language that we wanted. So instead of just looking at the dollar signs and the zeros behind it, it was more about signing a contract that put me in a good situation and didn’t hurt me in the long run. And sadly, I did get hurt that [2023] season, but later on to still achieve that goal of having a thousand yards that year—for the ending goal, to have that contract signed after that year, for my family to witness that, it was a real dream come true and a real, real big day for me.
You came into the league as a rookie [in 2020], and you just immediately stole the show. That instantly set the tone and expectation for who you had to be moving forward. How have expectations hurt you and how have expectations helped you?
They never hurt me. Just because I feel like even with all of the expectations that I have, there’s still people out there that’s doubting me or still not having that confidence or that trust that I’m the No. 1 guy. So that’s always something that runs in the back of my mind. Michael Jordan said it on The Last Dance—every single game that he plays, somebody is in the stands watching you for the first time. So that’s kind of something that I always had in the back of my mind, to always try to give somebody that show, that experience to say, when I watched Justin, he went off, he gave a good show…And to see the love that I get from kids, from older adults, it’s just endless love. Never hate. So that’s something that always kind of drives me to the next level.
I feel like you take these things personally, but I think that the people that care about their work the most take it personally. Would you say it’s personal to you?
I feel like I have always been looked at second or third or fourth or fifth my whole entire career. So just having that No. 1 spot, that’s always a great feeling for me because I always was doubted. I never was the first one to be looked at. So having that list come out, especially after the year that we just had last year, is even more fuel to the fire. I’m not really fazed by opinions, but I love to hear them.
You’ve had nine different starting quarterbacks through your first six seasons. Is that 10 now with Kyler Murray, or is that nine?
That would be 10, including Kyler.
How do you think that these years that people might consider a down year [after the Vikings went 9-8 last year and missed the playoffs] affect their ability to say, “You are one?” Do you think that plays a large role?
It plays a major role because people don’t really give you that satisfaction. Like, “Oh, he can’t do it. If he doesn’t have a good quarterback throwing him the ball, he can’t do it.” So I feel like those last two years, starting with Sam Darnold — they said going to the Vikings was a dead end for him. And for us to turn out and have 14 wins [in 2024], no one expected that. It’s really just overcoming adversity. If you look at the top guys in the league, they have that main guy…So with my situation, with my difficulty of overcoming the things that I’ve been overcoming, that means way more than having a superstar quarterback throwing me that ball. I’m still overcoming the double teams. I feel like that’s what makes me me. And it allows me to take more on that leadership role by putting the team on my back. Now I got to speak up a little bit more, be that person that’s vocally leading, not just sitting in the back and leading by example.
A few years ago, me, you, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Burrow, we sat and did an interview, and it was really cool to see all of you all’s friendship, but especially you and Ja’Marr. What does that dynamic do?
It’s definitely a love-hate relationship, but it has to be, just because of how competitive we are and how much this sport really means to us. No one ever likes to be number two. But to have two guys on the similar level, superstars in the league, that has all of the talent in the world — for us to be on that same team at LSU is pretty crazy to think about. That kind of transferred into the league. We are always competing against each other for who’s going to get the most touchdowns and who’s going to get the most yards. And having that friendly battle, but also understanding how far to take it. We respect one another’s game, but we both think we’re No. 1.
But it exists too, I think, because you all understand one another.
100%. And we both understand that we’re going to make each other better. We understand that one person outdoing the other person is only going to make the other person try to catch up a little bit more. So it’s literally always been that competition battle. Always.
I do think football players are starting to take up a lot more space in fashion. I think historically people have maybe seen it as more of an NBA thing. Do you think y’all are starting to take the crown some?
Oh yeah, for sure. You definitely see a lot more football players than, I would say, basketball. It’s hard to kind of fit them into different clothing. I’m 6-1, 200 [pounds]. So it’s a little bit easier to put me in different looks than a 6’8″, 6’9″ basketball player.
But the helmet hides you. Does that make your off-field image actually matter more?
Yes. Because if you’re not out there on TV, if you’re not on commercials, people don’t really recognize your face unless the TV is actually zoomed in on your face. That’s the thing that I hate about football, not having that facial exposure for people to really know who you truly are. Basketball, you don’t have a helmet. Soccer, no helmet. So it’s really the only sport that kind of hides out our identity a little bit. So that’s why I try to do as much in the off-season as I can, try to be on the TV as much as I can, try to show my face, show my brand as much as I can.
Tell me when you really realized you were crossing over culturally. Because I see you at the Drake concert on the risers, I see you got your soccer player best friends, I see you at Michael Rubin’s White Party. When did you become that intersection?
Oh, you’re asking some great questions. I don’t know. It’s very hard for me to really pinpoint it just because I’m not that type of guy to be in that spotlight. I’m in the spotlight on the football field, but I don’t like to be in the spotlight off the field. So during these recent times of me being at the White Party, at all of these different functions, is really just me stepping outside of that comfort zone, shying away from just being at my house, playing a video game and being in my own box, which I love to do. Sometimes I kind of got to talk myself into stepping out and being out in public more. But I also feel like that’s what makes those moments more memorable.
Because they’re also selected.
Exactly. So when I am at the White Party, those people don’t see me that often. So when I do get into those circles, it’s like, “Oh shit, there you go, Justin, what’s good?” And then it’s more exciting to talk to me, like, “What you been up to?”
You’re kind of like a mythical figure. So then you pop up, and it’s like, “Oh, there he is.” There’s a method.
Exactly. There’s a method to that. I don’t want to be out there too much, but just enough for you to know my name, know what it is.
I appreciate you, Justin. It is always a pleasure when I get to talk to you. You are incredible. I am so excited to see what you do next season, all the seasons. You are one of the absolute best. Thank you for your time.
Appreciate you. Anytime.
Interviewer – Taylor Rooks Art Director – Michelle Lukianovich DP, Video Editor – Craig Newton Director – Audrey Blackmore Camera Op – Matt Strickland Camera Op – Kevin Marquez Audio Tech – Matthew Patterson Curry Photographer – Sage East Photo Assistant – Emmanuel Porquin Stylist – Darnell Booker Digital Tech – Garren Pryce Set Design – Colin Lytton Production Assistant – Isaac Taylor Shane VP, General Manager – Paul Beckles VP, Content – Damien Scott VP, Revenue & Brand Partnerships – Abigale Smith VP, Partnership Strategy & Marketing – Bernadette Doykos VP, Social Media – Yoni Mernick VP, Audience Development – Jonathan Wiener Sr. Director, Marketing & Content Operations – Stephanie Talmadge Sr. Manager, Content Operations – Griffin Adams Sr. Manager, Social Media – Tate Jordan CMO – Sarah Flynn Co-Founders – Rich Kleiman & Kevin Durant
