Jacksonville Jaguars Tight End Josiah Deguara has been a high-impact player throughout his career. At Folsom High School , Deguara was named to the MaxPreps 2014 California Division 1 All-State Football Team as the First-Team Tight End. That year, Folsom also won state championship. After graduating from high school in 2015 as a three-star recruit, he signed on to play football at the University of Cincinnati.
As a member of the Bearcats, Deguara was named Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2018, and then was named First-Team in 2019.
After his college career, he was selected by Green Bay in the 3rd Round (94th Overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft. Since then, he has been a key contributor at both Tight End and on Special Teams with some standout performances, including this highlight-reel 62-yard touchdown grab in 2021.
In 2023, going into his fourth season with the Packers, we had the chance to catch up with Josiah and ask him why he loves football, his life aspirations, and why, beginning last year, he decided to make the Q-Collar a part of his equipment on the field.
Why do you play football?
“I play football for the love of the game. I grew up playing the game of football. I’ve loved it ever since I was a little kid. I love the team atmosphere. I love being able to compete alongside your brothers and just the competitiveness of the game.”
How would describe yourself as a football player?
“If I could describe myself as a football player, I’d use one word, ‘love.’ I love the game more than anything. I’m a tough, nasty player who gets after it. I’m kind of a different person on the field. I love to play this game and at the end of the day, that’s why I do it.”
Why do you like the physical nature of football?
“The best part about football is how tough it is physically. You have to be a tough and nasty player. It’s a very physical game. It’s just as physical as it is mental, so you have to go out there each and every day and put your body on the line for the betterment of your team.”
As a kid, what about football attracted you to the game?
“I think what separated football from other sports as I was growing up was that football is the ultimate team game. You’re alongside ten other guys on the field, 22 total between offense and defense. If one person messes up, the whole play is over and on defense, the whole scheme is messed up whereas in basketball, one player can take over the game, or in baseball, where one pitcher can take over the game. In football, you need all eleven guys to cohesively work in order to be successful and that’s why I love the game of football.”
What are the things you do to make sure that your body is ready to perform at its best each and every week?
“The number one thing for me in getting ready each and every week is my diet and getting enough sleep. You need enough sleep to have enough energy to perform and attack the next day. You have to get whatever body work is available to you to be able to put your body at-risk each and every week. I do everything in my power to recover and get my body as close to 100% that I can before every upcoming game.”
How does that play into your use of the Q-Collar?
“The Q-Collar is something that definitely helps my mind recover faster. It allows me to be able to be a little bit sharper the next day than maybe I was before. It allows me to come back and attack the next day mentally and physically as if I didn’t play a game before.”
How important is the mental component of the game to you?
“The mental component of the game is just as important, if not more important, than the physical aspects of the game. You have to attack each and every day just as intensely, if not more than physically. At the end of the day, if you get out there and you don’t know the play, your body can’t do what you need it to do.”
How did you come across the Q-Collar and why did it intrigue you?
“I originally came across the Q-Collar because a teammate of mine, Adrian Amos, was wearing it. He was wearing it each and every day, and I was able to ask him about how much he enjoyed using it. When I started to ask him questions and get more educated on how the Q-Collar works as well as how it protects someone, I was intrigued right away. That’s when I originally decided to try it on my own.”
Do you notice a difference in how you feel after games now that you’re wearing the Q-Collar?
“Sometimes when I used to wake up after games, I’d experience some headaches and fogginess on the Monday or Tuesday after a game. Now, I find myself a little bit more refreshed. A little bit better recovered than I was before I started using the Q-Collar. Being able to do that puts me at an advantage because I’m able to get to things that actually matter going into the next game week instead of worrying about getting enough rest to protect my head.”
Was there something that happened in a game that made you realize that you needed to find a solution to help better protect your brain?
“In 2021, I experienced a pretty serious head injury on the field in the very first game of my second year in the NFL. Ever since that point, I’ve kind of looked for something that would put me in a position to better protect my brain and protect myself in general. When I came across the Q-Collar, it was kind of a no-brainer to add that to my equipment because I had been through that pretty serious head injury. To be able to be a part of Q-Collar and be able to add it to my everyday regimen was something that obvious for me.”
How important is it to your wife that you’re wearing the Q-Collar?
“It is very important to my wife that I’m wearing the Q-Collar. Her, as well as my parents. We all came together and made the decision together for me to wear the Q-Collar. Like I mentioned, I sustained a pretty serious head injury in-game. When we found out about the Q-Collar, it was definitely a family decision that I wore it.”
What would you say to a parent whose debating getting the Q-Collar for their kid?
“When talking to the parents of youth today, who are the people making decisions to allow their kids to play football, I would one hundred percent recommend the Q-Collar. My mom was one of those parents that freaked out every time I stepped on the field. It’s a very normal reaction to have. However, if your kid wants to play football and is passionate about it, and you want your kid to be able to do the thing he love and play freely, it’s an easy decision and it will give you peace of mind.”
Beyond football, what are some of your life aspirations and how do you feel the Q-Collar allows you to accomplish those?
“At the end of the day, this game isn’t going to last forever. The reason that I wear the Q-Collar is my family. It’s for my future kids. It’s for my wife. It’s for my parents and siblings. I want to be the same person today forever, and I want to protect my brain in order to do so. Adding the Q-Collar to my football equipment is something that will help me get there. I believe the Q-Collar will maximize my life and help me achieve those goals.”
What are your personal aspirations for when you’re done with you football career?
“My future post-football involves being a husband. It involves being a father. Hopefully, it even involves being a grandfather down the road. I hope to one day be able to influence the next generation as much as I was influenced by the people that came before me. I want to coach high school football athletes. I would ultimately like to be an athletic director. I want to be able to influence this next generation as much as possible.”
To learn more about Josiah Deguara and why he wears the Q-Collar, check out this video!
