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Blake Bortles stops alleged truck thief at Jaguars house party, continues to be the hero we don't deserve
Scott Halleran
Few athletes have received more criticism for their on-field play than Blake Bortles has in the last few years. Through it all, the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback has kept his head down and steadily improved, leading his team to an AFC Championship and earning a three-year, $54-million contract many believe he does not deserve. This story is further proof he's a man you should want to go to war with.
According to TMZ, Bortles and Jaguars offensive lineman Chris Reed were at a party at the Jacksonville Beach home of teammate Brandon Linder when they noticed a strange man inside the house. Bortles and Reed realized he was an uninvited guest and immediately called the police. It wasn't until after that when cops checked surveillance video and found out the 18-year-old kid attempted to steal Bortles' truck, which was unlocked with his keys and wallet inside according to the police report. Luckily for Bortles, his truck was boxed in and the kid couldn't get out. The thwarted thief was booked for burglary, grand theft and trespassing.
There's a few ways to look at this, there's the very wrong, Deadspin way, where everyone is dumb and stupid, and then there's the right way to look at this. This tells me Bortles awareness rating on Madden should be 99 in the 2019 version of the game. Not to make assumptions, but you have to think Bortles was having a good time, enjoying some Bud Lights and tacos at a party, yet he still remained alert, keeping his eyes downfield at all times and preventing a robbery attempt. So what, he leaves his keys and wallet in his car and keeps it unlocked, big deal. That tells me he likes to keep all his things in order at the end of the night. Those hating on this move are definitely people who have had a few drinks and lost their phone or wallet or keys at the bar. Meanwhile, Blake's stuff is all in one spot when he wakes up in the morning. Guy is thinking 10 steps ahead.