The NFL draft has been taking place this weekend, and many newest draftees to teams are sharing their stories. One player decided to share his love of the Star Wars franchise after he was drafted by the New York Giants.
Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart was drafted by the Giants with the 25th pick in the first round of the NFL draft. As ESPN was showing his ability and highlights, they also mentioned and allowed him to share his story and his Star Wars admiration.
He stated that he is a big fan of the franchise and that his favorite films are Revenge of the Sith and The Empire Strikes Back. He actually wears eye black during games as a tribute to Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith. "I started it back in my junior year of high school," Dart explained to ESPN. "The first time I saw it was on an LSU defensive back... I did it on one eye, and somebody pointed out to me the similarities-- one of my friends who's also a huge 'Star Wars' fan -- and ever since then, I've kinda run with it."
Dart has been a fan of Star Wars since he was a kid. The New York Giant said he was able to go to Disneyland as a child to create lightsabers, and his dad would dress up as Darth Vader.
Dart joins a long list of famous athletes who are fans of the franchise. This includes Tennessee Titans running back Travis Henry and gymnast Simone Biles. Also, like Dart, Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi has a unique way of honoring the franchise. At certain times, he wears his hockey helmet that has lightsabers from both the light side and dark side colors. He has kneeled and meditated during hockey games, drawing inspiration from Liam Neeson and his character of Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace.
For Dart, it seems fitting that with long hair and black liner that he resembles Anakin Skywalker. This year, 2025, is the year he was drafted and marks the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith.
In fact, the last time the Giants drafted a quarterback in the first round was in 2019, when The Rise of Skywalker was released. Hopefully for the Giants and Dart, he channels the light side of Anakin and not the dark side as he starts his career.