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Why do Jaguars fans yell Duval? Lil Wayne yells ‘Duval’ after the Jags’ Travis Hunter pick
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- Why do Jaguars fans yell Duval? Lil Wayne yells ‘Duval’ after the Jags’ Travis Hunter pick
If you're a Jacksonville Jaguars fan, today is likely a very good day for you . If you were watching the draft with a football-loving friend and are wondering who Travis Hunter is, why he's such a big deal, what he has to do with Lil Wayne and what "Duval" is, look no further.
Last night, Thursday, April 24, was the first round of the NFL draft — the process by which NFL teams pick new players for the upcoming football season.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars have a painful history of disappointing fans with questionable drafting decisions (except for the year they drafted Jags superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence ). But Jags fans tuned in to witness a big surprise in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft last night.
The Jags were center-stage for the biggest moment of the night, trading up from fifth in the picking order, to second. And they drafted someone who many considered to be the best and most unique player on the national stage last night: native Floridian Travis Hunter Jr .
When Travis Hunter was drafted, one of the most influential rappers in the music industry, Lil Wayne, celebrated with a selfie video, yelling "Duuuuuvaaaaal!"
Here's a quick explainer of the drafting process for those who don't know, who Travis Hunter is, what his connection is to Lil Wayne and why Jaguars fans express their excitement by yelling "Duval."
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What is the NFL draft and how does it work?
The NFL draft is a three-day process that happens over one weekend every spring. The first round of the draft, which is the most exciting, always happens on Thursday night. All of the 32 NFL teams each get one pick per round, giving each team a total of seven draft picks, as there are seven rounds total.
"The NFL draft takes place over three days (Thursday through Saturday) each spring," the NFL's website says.
"Only the first round is held on Thursday. It starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and each team has 10 minutes to make its pick. The second and third rounds are on Friday; rounds 4-7 are on Saturday."
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As each round passes, teams get less and less time to make their pick: seven minutes in the second round, five minutes in rounds three through six and four minutes in round seven.
"If a team lets its time expire without making a choice, it can make a selection later — but it runs the risk of letting the next team on the clock take the player it was considering," according to the NFL's draft rules.
Teams are also allowed to trade picks with each other. Trading is often a strategic move to help the team secure a player that they really want, or increase chances at finding a good player in later rounds.
"It's up to the club's executives to either select a player or trade the pick to another team to improve its position in the current or future drafts," according to the NFL.
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"Teams may negotiate trades at any time before and during the draft and can swap draft picks or current NFL players to whom they hold the rights."
2025 NFL draft grades: Every pick in first round broken down
When is the 2025 NFL draft?
The 2025 NFL draft began at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 24. The second and third rounds are today, Friday, April 25, and the last three rounds of the 2025 draft will be on Saturday, April 26.
Who is Travis Hunter? Why is Travis Hunter so famous?
Travis Hunter is a very unique football player, since he plays on "both sides" of the ball, meaning he can play offense and defense (playing both exceptionally well). Hunter was the most-desired player in this year's draft and is also the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, making headlines for his viral acceptance speech which mentioned his family and rapper Lil Wayne.
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And Hunter isn't only the best two-way college football player in the country, he's among the best in the U.S. at both of the positions he plays: receiver and cornerback.
For Jags fans who are used to being severely disappointed by their team's draft picks, this decision was electric and immediately met with a burst of excitement from fans on X (formerly Twitter).
Even the official Jacksonville Jaguars X account is excitedly celebrating Hunter joining the team, posting a barrage of celebratory tweets and changing their profile picture to a photo of Hunter open-mouth grinning.
The account also posted a selfie video of rapper Lil Wayne, who was celebrating the pick by yelling a long and loud "Duval!" to the camera.
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To sweeten the pot even more, Hunter has strong ties to Florida and referred to his joining the Jaguars as "going home" in his post-draft interview. He was born in West Palm Beach, Florida and credits his Boynton Beach grandmother for his start in the sport.
Who is Travis Hunter's agent? What to know about Hunter's relationship with Lil Wayne
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - APRIL 24: Lil Wayne poses on stage during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Lil Wayne's sports agency, Young Money APAA Sports, represents Travis Hunter. But Hunter is also a Lil Wayne fan. He mentioned in his Heisman Trophy speech in 2024 that he loves Lil Wayne's music, which his fiancé introduced him to, and said he listens to his music before games.
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Why do Jaguars fans yell Duval?
The reason why Jags fans are known for yelling "Duval" is actually pretty simple. It's a rallying cry for the fanbase, honoring the fans' love for and connection to the city. Duval is the name of the county that Jacksonville sits in.
Jacksonville is actually the county seat for Duval County and the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area takes up the majority of the county's geographical bounds, with only five other cities included within the county limits.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travis Hunter is a Jaguar: Why Lil Wayne celebrated with a 'Duval' scream
