New York Jets tight end Jace Amaro has set his sights on being named the NFL's Rookie of the Year at the end of the 2014 season.
Amaro was chosen in the second round of this year's Draft, becoming the third tight end to be snapped up after Eric Ebron and Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
The former Texas Tech star admitted that not being chosen in the first round added to his desire to succeed in the NFL, and he also set himself a long-term goal of catching more than 100 passes in a season.
"It adds the same chip on my shoulder I had when I went from high school to college. To me, that's big. I'm holding it in - I'm not really expressing about it - but I think eventually people are going to realise it," Amaro told reporters.
"Ultimately, for me, the goal is to be the best player and win Rookie of the Year, be the best offensive player. If you don't have that mindset, you're not in it for the right reasons.
"Eventually, I'd like to do that on a consistent basis, be a tight end that catches 100 balls a year. That might be five years from now, it might be 10. That's kind of a goal for me."
Amaro also outlined his ambition to emulate Tony Gonzalez, who retired following the 2013 season and is widely regarded to be the greatest tight end in NFL history.
Barney Corkhill
