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Jaguars GM Trent Baalke keeps clown figurine on his desk to remind himself to prove fans wrong

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke speaks to assembled players at the Jaguars Prep Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic at TIAA Bank Field on February 20, 2023. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke speaks to assembled players at the Jaguars Prep Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic at TIAA Bank Field on February 20, 2023. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke keeps a clown doll figurine on his desk as a reminder of why he comes to work.

The team released the first episode of “The Hunt” on YouTube, an in-house production giving a behind the curtain look at the AFC South Champions offseason.

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In the opening shot of the production, a desk was shown with the tiny clown figure on it, as Baalke explained why he decided to keep the doll.

Baalke and owner Shad Khan were called clowns by fans who were upset at the direction of the franchise during the 2021 season.

Some Jacksonville Jaguars fans dress up as clowns for the game against the Colts, protesting team owner Shad Khan's retaining general manager Trent Baalke, on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.
Some Jacksonville Jaguars fans dress up as clowns for the game against the Colts, protesting team owner Shad Khan's retaining general manager Trent Baalke, on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla.

It culminated during the final game of the Jaguars season against the Colts where fans wore clown attire to the stadium in protest of the pairing.

Baalke said in the video a fan sent him the doll and he decided to put it on his desk as a reminder of what his purpose is—to prove them wrong.

The episode featured a look at Baalke’s combine routine along with Doug Pederson, Roy Robertson-Harris’ golf game and new wide receiver Calvin Ridley arriving at the Jaguars’ facility for the first time.

Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @JustonLewis_.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars GM Trent Baalke keeps clown figure on his desk