The Arizona Cardinals didn't just draft one of college football's most dynamic players when they selected Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
They drafted a comic book creator, an anime fan, a self-described introvert, and a young man who spent much of his childhood feeling like he didn't quite fit in.
Today, the Cardinals rookie hopes young fans see something bigger than football when they hear his story.
Here's our 1:1 with the Cardinals rookie on staying true to who you are.
You created a comic book character. Where did that idea come from?
The idea originally came from my dad. It was my junior year of high school. He wanted to try to tell my story, and he wanted to do it in a unique way, in a way that I thought was cool. He knew that I liked anime, he knew I liked comics and manga.
So he thought of creating my own comic: Jeremonstar.
Five years later, this past October, we came out with the first book. It did really well. So far, people love it.
It was a process. We had to find people to do illustrations, marketing, and to publish them as well. My dad found a great team of people and got it done.
Tell us about Jeremonstar.
Basically, it's telling my life story, and sharing some of my struggles.
We wanted to tell it in a way that people understand you're not always the main character in your life. Sometimes you've got to take the lesser role in order to achieve success. Things aren't always peachy.
The heart behind it is giving back to the game. Football has given me so much. It's gotten me this far... to the NFL... and changed my family's life forever.
I also want to inspire kids who face challenges or come from backgrounds similar to mine to become the best version of themselves while staying true to who they are.
Who had the biggest influence on you as a kid?
My mom and dad. They allowed me to just be myself.
My parents took me to the doctor when I was a kid. They were concerned I had tendencies of autism, OCD, and stuff like that. I never got diagnosed for any of it. My doctor was like: Don't try to change him, just let him be himself and let him go out there and change the world.
My parents took heed of that.
They let me be myself. They let me do the things I loved and never tried to change who I was. They simply supported me, and that made all the difference.
If my parents had tried to change me, I probably wouldn't be who I am today. I probably wouldn't have the same morals or the same work ethic. And I don't think I'd know myself the way I do now.
Because if you try to change somebody and they don't want to be changed, it will only cause conflict.
What was the hardest part of your journey?
Just always being on the outside of everything.
I was never the type to have many friends. I had two best friends growing up, Chandler and Dylan. Those were the two guys I hung with.
While other kids were out playing together, I mostly kept to myself. It was always football, anime, and video games. That was hard because I wanted to bond with other kids. I wanted to connect with people. It's just that people didn't really see me as that type of guy.
I never went to parties and wasn't really invited to much outside of hanging out with my two friends.
Back then, pursuing making connections was hard. Now it's different. People want to connect with me, so it's a lot easier.
But it also made me who I am today. It gave me the work ethic and the focus I needed to make it to the NFL.
What's one lesson football has taught you that has nothing to do with sports?
Choose hard in everything you do.
Whatever's easy probably isn't good for you. If something's hard, it's probably worth doing.
I learned that from my head coach, Coach Freeman, at the University of Notre Dame. He would say choose hard every single day.
That stuck with me, and I live by that.
I try to choose the hardest thing instead of taking the easy way out. That's what helps me get one percent better every day.
That's something you can apply to everyday life, no matter what you do.
What do you hope young fans take away from your story?
I hope they take away that they should just be themselves.
Don't try to be like anybody else.
If you have interests and other people don't like your interests, that's okay. Just do what you like to do.
In the long run, you'll find people who enjoy the same things you do, and those can become some of the best relationships you'll have for the rest of your life.
I hope that when you hear my story, you're inspired to be the best version of yourself and to do the things you truly love.
If a kid dreams of playing pro one day, what advice would you share?
If you're in elementary school or middle school, have fun. Don't make it serious.
When you get to high school and college, not everything is fun. That's when discipline matters. You've got to be consistent. You've got to put in the work when nobody else is.
If you do the same things everybody else does, you're not going to get ahead.
The way you get ahead is by working while everybody else is sleeping, getting in an extra workout, or finding a way to do something productive every single day.
But while you're a kid, keep it fun.
What would surprise people most about you?
Sure, off the field I'm pretty chill, but there's an outgoing side to me also. Now I like being around people and socializing, but my social battery gets drained very fast.
I'm actually a pretty outgoing person in the moment.
What excites you most about joining the Cardinals and becoming part of the Arizona community?
Just being here. Being where my feet are.
I get to be around great people every day.
I get to be part of a great community.
Ever since I got to Arizona, I haven't met or interacted with one mean or ill-intentioned person.
Around the Cardinals facility, everyone I've met has been excited to be here and fully present where their feet are.
They're grateful for the opportunity to do what they love.
I'm excited to build relationships with people here and do what we all love together.
What's been the biggest adjustment from college football to the NFL so far?
I would say the biggest adjustment when you first get into the league and go to the city that drafted you is the loneliness that comes with it.
You have to learn the area, learn the guys, and learn your coaches.
It takes time.
That feeling can linger a bit.
That's probably been the biggest change.
What excites you most about your first season?
I'm just excited to get on the field and play ball.
To score some touchdowns, make spectacular plays, hurdle somebody, juke somebody, run through somebody.
Arizona is going to get a guy that just loves football.
I want to go out there and crash out on somebody.
I just want to yell at the top of my lungs and be excited to be out there.
You're going to get a guy that has a lot of enthusiasm, who just loves the game, and is fun to watch.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Super speed and everything that comes with it.
I think that would be a pretty awesome superpower to have.
jeremonstarcomics.com
instagram.com/jeremiyahlove
"I was never the type to have many friends. My parents allowed me to be myself. They're the reason I am who I am today."
"You're not always the main character in your life. Sometimes you've got to take the lesser role in order to achieve success."