MIAMI – When all the FIU Pro Day drills were finished for Milord Juste, it was clear what would come next.
For the former Panthers defensive lineman, sample size and actual size are likely the two biggest factors that will determine his placement in the professional football arena.
Will an NFL team give Juste a shot to be an impactful special teams and/or defensive lineman? Will a CFL (Canadian Football league) franchise offer the 6-1, 285-pound star a contract?
Or will it be the all-new AAF (Alliance of American Football) that ends up as the Palm Beach Gardens 2015 alum’s next destination?
It’s relatively difficult to say right now, given the fact that Juste had to overcome a multitude of coaching changes throughout his four seasons at FIU. He was considered to be a late bloomer by head coach Butch Davis, which could ultimately work in his favor at some point down the line.
In four seasons, Juste recorded 42 tackles (6.5 TFL), two sacks, and one fumble recovery. His best collegiate game was against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 29, 2018, when the then-senior racked up three tackles (one tackle for loss) and a sack.
Juste’s best individual play in college football came as a junior against Middle Tennessee, when he immediately recognized a screen play and went on to clear past the opposition for a TFL. His top team moments were when FIU won eight games to qualify for the Gasparilla Bowl in 2017, and when FIU won the Bahamas Bowl for a school-record nine victories in 2018.
When asked about Juste’s pro potential, Davis was refreshingly candid and honest about it. This is one of the legendary coach’s best traits, something that Juste and every other current and former FIU player has come to respect and appreciate.
“He was really dependable for us every single Saturday over the last two seasons,” Davis said about Juste. “He was never a featured starter, but he was a big part of the rotation. You can count on him for 15, 18, 20, sometimes 25 plays a game and get a phenomenal effort. It may be a hard path for him. He may have to play in one of the non-NFL leagues for a couple of years to get an opportunity on the next level.”
For starters, Juste’s Pro Day testing numbers and a live look by scores of NFL, CFL, and AAF scouts may price to be encouraging in more ways than one. His two best drills were in the bench (16 reps) and in the three-cone drill, where he impressed onlookers with his lateral speed, hip movement, and burst around the corners at Riccardo Silva Stadium.
“I feel like I have a great chance to play at the next level,” Juste said. “If God blesses me with the opportunity, it doesn’t matter where I go. I’ll make the best of it and work my way up, if I need to…I’m used to it.”
LEGENDARY PRESENCE
Juste credits his ability to overcome a multitude of coaching changes and the steady influence of Davis as two reasons why he’s at this juncture now.
“We had many coaches come through here,” he said. “We never had a for-sure defensive line coach. We learned from a bunch of alumni, and I would get tips from my high school coaches. It was pretty rough. But when he (Davis) came in here, it was a sigh a relieve for everyone. He was a defensive line coach himself, and he kept feeding us the knowledge that he has had at the position…It was easy to follow in his footsteps from there.”
BONUS TAKE
As Juste officially closes the book on college football, he noticed something that our hometown area (Palm Beach County) can be proud of.
“We represent ourselves pretty well,” he said. “We had T.O. (former FIU wife receiver Thomas Owens – Atlantic 2014 alum), and now we have a few other Atlantic players who play with this team (defensive lineman Jason Mercier, running back Shawndarrius Phillips, and wide receiver Cadarius Gaskin). You have a couple of players from American Heritage (cornerback and Iowa transfer Josh Turner; defensive lineman Noah Curtis). Palm Beach definitely has the talent on the map here.”
