For the second consecutive week, the player wearing Pat Tillman’s No. 40 in practice for the Arizona Cardinals is on the active roster — wide receiver Xavier Weaver. Last week, it was offensive lineman Jon Gaines II.
“It’s a blessing,” Weaver told Cards Wire. “It’s a cool opportunity to just be able to represent someone that means so much to this program.”
When asked what he looks for when deciding who the weekly winner of the Pat Tillman Scout Team will be, head coach Jonathan Gannon said, “Giving good looks, just practicing with a ton of effort and enthusiasm and really forcing the other players … obviously with Zay, going against our defense forcing those guys to be on point and making some plays. Because then when he made some plays — this is like all of them every week — but when Zay made some of those plays, we had to adjust some things.
“There’s always learning from that, but learning takes place when guys are playing at high levels so then you can coach off of that. There’s growth that happens from that, but you need those other guys going a hundred miles an hour. There’s a cause and effect to it. A lot of his plays, some were carded, some weren’t. Twos versus ones, so that was cool for him to go out and make some plays. He’s developing his game.”
Weaver has yet to be active after making the roster as an undrafted rookie free agent, but he approaches practice the right way.
He said, “It’s about just being able to do your job to the best of your ability, 100 percent and everything else will take care of itself. Not trying to do too much, not trying to be a hero. Just do your role and what you are supposed to do for this team. And the rest will come to light.”
Do players overall understand the importance of scout-team work?
“They know,” Gannon said. “And they know what role they have to go in to improving the other side but really, I’m looking for, ‘You can’t stay the same.’ You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse, so I’m looking at guys when that jersey gets given out, did they improve these last three days. I thought he did.”
Weaver admitted he didn’t know much about Tillman’s legacy until being signed by the Cardinals.
He said, “I did my history and homework on the program. Just looking at what he did, not only for the program but for the world, for our communities. It’s just a true blessing to have his number and represent him in practice this week.”
2024 Pat Tillman Award Winners
Week 1: RB Michael Carter
Week 2: LB Markus Bailey
Week 3: WR Andre Baccellia
Week 4: OL Jon Gaines II
Week 5: WR Xavier Weaver
