Arizona Football: WR Commit Jessie Britt is a walking miracle

Arizona football receives a commitment from wide receiver from Florida; he is a walking miracle, literally.

ZonaZealots like to find out about our newly committed Wildcats. We bring it to you, their fans, so you can get to know them better before they come to Tucson. They are all special in their own way, and we give them the opportunity to tell their story. Jessie Britt? He is literally a walking miracle.

Be prepared to learn a lot of fascinating and heartwarming information and insights into this complex and wonderfully refreshing young man.

Last month, Jessie’s heart stopped, and he had to be revived multiple times. He came back to life better than ever and is very appreciative of his second chance. We asked him if he felt it was a miracle, “It doesn’t feel like a miracle IT IS A MIRACLE. I feel like I’m destined for greatness he kept me here for a reason, and he’s still letting me pursue my dreams, that’s why I want to switch my number from 3 to 7 to honor that experience.”

It’s important that he wears the No. 7 on the back of his Arizona football jersey,”I want to wear seven because its Gods number as everybody would say. He kept me here, so I want to honor him.”

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He learned a life lesson from his harrowing experience, “The lesson I got from it is, ‘don’t take life for granted,’ because one moment you can be playing in a game feeling well or just walking feeling well and next thing you know you’re gone.” He has a message for all of us, “Give thanks every day and make sure the people you love know you love them because you may not be able to tell them again.” Great advice Jessie.

We know what you are thinking, you already know that Britt is Arizona’s kinda guy. A three-star wide receiver who originally committed to Western Kentucky, Britt is euphoric with his decision to commit to be a Wildcat.

He was so thrilled that he committed to his new coach when he came to visit him in Florida. “Coach Addae,” he said, “The best thing I liked about him was how he was always asking about my mom and always wanted to get a hold of her. Communication with the parents is huge.”

It seems he was convinced on his official visit, “The thing that sold me was pretty much the vibe that I felt from the players, it was like I was already on the team!” For the record, Britt said he never visited WKU, but he likes that the Pac-12 is a big and notable conference.

Photo Credit: Hasani Harper (@huh_saw_knee) /

Britt enjoyed the campus as well, “I loved it, the surroundings, the campus, the facilities, everything about it.” He will be majoring in either forensic science or psychology.

When doing our research on Britt, we found a former NFL player with the same first and last name, Jessie Loftin Britt Jr., so we asked him about it, “Yes I am aware [of him], he is no relation to me, but I found it ironic because those are my initials [JLB].” What a coincidence!

Britt is one of six children, he lives with his mom and four of his siblings, “I live with my mom, Shamika Britt, little brother Malcolm, younger sister, and two of my older sisters. I have never had a father figure, but I’ve had cousins and coaches who stay on me just like one. Also, my older brother has been there for me, and my Auntie Sonia too.” Full house! So living in a dorm with teammates should be a piece of cake.

Photo Credit: Hasani Harper (@huh_saw_knee) /

Jessie is going to be leaving a lot of people behind on the East Coast who he will miss when he moves to Tucson, “I have a lot of friends, but the ones I’ll miss are the ones I’m around every day. They are more than friends; they are my brothers. My cousin Artavis, who will be at Oregon state, my boy Isaiah, and Big Roo. Also my teams; both football and basketball.”

Did we forget to mention that Britt is a double-sport athlete? He plays both football and basketball in high School. “Basketball helped with football with the conditioning,” he said, “because it’s a constant back and forth for running. Also, toughness is a key in both sports, and it just makes me want to compete.”

Britt’s high school football field has an ‘A’ painted on the fifty-yard line for Auburndale High School. It looks much like Arizona’s ‘A’, just different colors, so he should feel right at home. His coaches call him ‘Captain Chaos’ because of all the chaos he causes when he has the ball his hands. To his friends, he is called J-Britt. We kinda like Captian Chaos ourselves.

We wondered why he enjoys playing WR, “The thing I love about WR is that most of the time it’s one on one, and I’ve always had the mentality that nobody can stop me. I also love blocking to open up for other things to happen.”

@BpelletierP pic.twitter.com/bjV6DvOzu4
— Jessie Britt (@_jay__3) July 9, 2014

Jessie didn’t start out playing wide receiver, he played in other positions first, but when his coaches tried him out at receiver, he found he had the chops for it. “I’ve always played quarterback and running back along with safety and cornerback all my life,” he said, “Until senior year when I was moved to WR after having an amazing year in 7-on-7 football where I realized how great I was at route running and catching.”

The young Mr. Britt is inspired by many people, but mostly his mom, “The biggest one [inspiration] is my mom. She’s my rock! Without her, I don’t think I would be in this position. She goes out of her way to provide for my siblings and me. She constantly stays on my about school work and not getting in trouble and keeping me close to God.”

Britt also draws inspiration from those around him, “Also my coaches that constantly stay on me: Coach deeds, Coach E, Coach G, Coach Tony.”

God can never be TOO good, but in this case he was GREAT!! When praises go up, blessings come down. @ShamikaBritt77 https://t.co/yQWZlLu9xF
— Adale Coach E (@E_tada_Rob) January 28, 2016

As far as a football player he mimic’s his game after, he told us he looks up to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin. Analyzing Austin’s stats, it is clear why Britt identifies with Austin; he rushed for as many yards (434) as he caught passes (473), so he is a dual-threat offensive player. “Because I feel like I play just like him; quick and elusive,” Britt said, “He’s not the biggest just like me, but he plays like he is.” Excellent answer!