Allen Hurns, Jaguars’ new $40 million man, says he still has to prove himself

7:54 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Before a game late in the 2014 season, Jacksonville Jaguars receivers coach Jerry Sullivan was on the sideline watching his players warm up when an onlooker motioned toward Allen Hurns.

“Still can’t believe he wasn’t drafted,” he said.

Allen Hurns has 115 catches for 1,708 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons. AP Photo/Brian Blanco

Sullivan shook his head. It’s time, he said, to quit talking about teams passing on Hurns and instead start talking about the fact that the kid is a darn good football player.

Less than two years later, a player nobody was willing to take a chance on in the seventh round is regarded as one of the top young receivers in the NFL. He’s also a multi-millionaire after agreeing Thursday to a four-year contract extension that will pay him $40 million over four years, with $20 million guaranteed.

However, Hurns is always going to identify with being unwanted.

“It [the contract] for sure won’t change me,” he said. “No matter how much money I make I’m still going to step on the field thinking about the day I went undrafted. That will stay with me forever.”

From the outside it might seem as if Hurns’ rise came out of nowhere, but those inside the …

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