Who is NY Jets WR and viral 'Hard Knocks' star Jerome Kapp?

Every year on "Hard Knocks," there are typically at least one or two previously unknown players who manage to steal the show and force their way into the spotlight. On this past Tuesday's episode, that player was NY Jets wide receiver Jerome Kapp.

The undrafted rookie wideout out of Division-II Kutztown University in Pennsylvania took part in the team's so-called "Rookie Show" in the third episode of the series. This came after the rookies failed to impress with their performance in the previous episode.

While the show featured a number of highlights, including renditions of Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" and Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack," Kapp was the one who generated the most headlines.

Kapp performed the entire freestyle rap from Eminem's iconic 8 Mile movie, much to the delight and awe of his teammates. His performance sent Jets fans into a frenzy and even had many calling for him to earn a roster spot simply because of the vibes.

Who is NY Jets wide receiver Jerome Kapp?

Kapp was one of just two rookie minicamp standouts signed by the Jets this past spring following a successful workout. The Jets brought in over 40 players for their rookie minicamp — Kapp is the only one remaining on the roster.

At 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, Kapp played primarily as a defensive back in high school before converting to wide receiver at Seton Hall. He transferred to Kutztown after just one injury-riddled season and went on to become a key part of his new school's offense.

In three years at Kutztown, Kapp caught 122 passes for just shy of 2,200 yards and 22 touchdowns. Despite having two years of college eligibility left, Kapp opted to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft, where he unsurprisingly went unselected.

Kapp attended rookie minicamp tryouts with both the Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars and clearly made a strong impression on the former. He made some plays during OTAs as well and has managed to stick around throughout the summer.

As Kapp noted during his 8 Mile performance, he was not handed any guaranteed money on his contract, making him an extreme roster longshot. In fact, of the 15 undrafted rookies on the Jets' roster, he's one of just two with no guaranteed money — and the other was signed just six days ago.

The Jets have some history with undrafted wide receivers from the Northeast carving out roles — Wayne Chrebet and the artist formerly known as Robby Anderson come to mind.

Still, the best-case and most likely scenario for Kapp will see him earn a spot on the team's practice squad. Perhaps his legendary rap performance will be enough to convince the Jets to keep him around for the foreseeable future.

Either way, his performance will not be forgotten any time soon.