ExtremeRavens Posted August 8 Posted August 8 LaJohntay Wester has a knack for making an impact in his debut. In Colorado’s first Big 12 game against Baylor last year, Wester made a miraculous 44-yard touchdown catch to tie the game with no time remaining. Then, in the Ravens’ first preseason game Thursday night at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore’s sixth-round rookie returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown. Wester avoided the first two Indianapolis Colts defenders on the return, initially breaking to the left before ducking back toward the middle of the field. He stepped out of several shoestring tackle attempts and coasted the remaining 40 yards for his first NFL touchdown. .@la_wester TO THE HOUSE Tune in on WBAL! pic.twitter.com/kNQd43xeDs — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 7, 2025 The 23-year-old also impressed on his first return of the night, evading several Colts during that 17-yard run as well. Wester’s elusiveness has stood out during training camp, as he’s thrived in short area situations and one-on-one drills. The Florida native returned two punts for touchdowns during his college career at Colorado and Florida Atlantic. Wester was named American Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year and was an All-AAC first-team selection at both receiver and special teams as a junior at FAU in 2023. He averaged 12.2 yards per return in his lone season at Colorado. “What stands out about him is really his returnability,” Ravens general manager DeCosta said after the draft. “If you watch him, we think he’s a twitchy, explosive punt returner.” Baltimore was searching for a punt returner this offseason after cycling through a variety of options last season. The Ravens ranked 26th in total punt return yards, 16th in yards per return and tried Tylan Wallace, Deonte Harty and Steven Sims. Wester also had a connection within Baltimore’s organization. He played under former FAU coach and current Ravens running backs coach Willie Taggart for two seasons. DeCosta selected Wester with the 203rd overall pick. Ravens vs. Colts in preseason opener | PHOTOS | Photos “What I’m seeing from LaJohntay every day is the consistency in the ball catching,” special teams coordinator Chris Horton said. “He has great technique. He has great fundamentals in really how we want to field the ball.” The wideout’s idol is Devin Hester, the only player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a returner. Hester set an NFL record with 19 career returns for touchdowns (14 punts, five kickoffs) over 11 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Ravens and Seattle Seahawks. While Thursday’s touchdown won’t count towards Wester’s career statistics, it’s a huge moment for a player vying to make the 53-man roster. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article Quote
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