Jelani Jenkins - More Than Meets The Eyes
Monday, October 3, 2011 | Football
By Matt Haas, UF Communications
One of the unquestioned leaders of the Gators' defense, on the surface, redshirt sophomore Jelani Jenkins appears to be every bit as intimidating as his 6'0'' 230-pound frame would suggest. However, dig a little deeper and you'll find that there's much more than meets the eyes.
First, there is Jelani the athlete.
Athletics run in Jenkins' blood. His father played power forward on his high school basketball team, and his mother played basketball at Howard University, but Jenkins always seemed to be drawn to the sport of football.
He has always had a knack for the game. The Olney, Md., native can recall when he rushed for approximately 300 yards in a game scoring on plays of 65, 85 and 99 yards. He was eight years old.
Watching from the bleachers of his pee wee games, only a few family and friends noticed his young football prowess. His talent came full-circle when big-time colleges started noticing Jenkins early in his high school career. At age 14, Jenkins received his first scholarship offer. When National Signing Day rolled around, over 40 Division I schools had offered the talented prep standout a spot on their roster. With so many possible destinations Jenkins and his family took an unorthodox approach to selecting where the Under Armour All-American would play.
“We made a chart,” Jenkins explained. “It listed things like academics, number of players the school had in the NFL and about five other categories. We narrowed a list down to a few schools that stood out. Florida was at on the top.”
During his first year wearing Orange and Blue, Jenkins redshirted, forced to watch from the sidelines for the first time in his playing career. Tough at first, it eventually turned into a blessing in disguise. He was able to learn behind a talented veteran linebacking core that included Brandon Spikes, a current member of the New England Patriots.
“I learned a lot from Brandon,” Jenkins explained. “He showed me how to be a leader on the field and taught me how to carry it from the meeting room to the practice field. I really learned a lot from just how hard he worked to prepare for the games.”
Jenkins eventually broke through, displaying his talents on the field during his redshirt freshman campaign. He appeared in all 13 games making 11 starts. His 76 tackles ranked second on the team and first in the SEC among freshmen. For his efforts on the field, Jenkins was named to the Freshman All-SEC Team.
Coming into this season, Jenkins knew he would need to step up and be a leader. With a young team and new defensive system being installed by head coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Jenkins embraced the challenge.
“I've grown. I'm a lot better at being a leader now,” Jenkins said. “Last year helped me, it gave me a lot of experience. I was one of the youngest guys on the defense playing; I had Ahmad Black counting on me to make the calls. I'm more comfortable in that leadership role.”
This season, Jenkins has picked up right where he left off. He has been one of the most consistent players in the SEC.
Next is Jelani the student.
Though Jenkins is a gifted athlete, academics have always been his first priority.
He skipped the second grade and graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in 2009, just two months after his 17th birthday. He graduated with a 3.92 grade point average while enrolled in numerous Advanced Placement courses and received the prestigious Watkins Award, given to five of the nation's finest scholar-athletes.
Through his first two year at UF, Jenkins has continued his success in academia. The applied physiology and kinesiology major currently holds a GPA above 3.3 and has been named to the SEC academic honor roll each of his two years in Gainesville.
Finally, there is Jelani the man.
He is a young man who greets you with a genuine smile and firm handshake - a man who takes the time to not only talk, but listen.
You would meet a man who takes time to give back to his community by volunteering with several Gator charitable efforts, including visits to mentor troubled youths at a juvenile detention center and volunteering at the Salvation Army.
You would also find a care-free college student who shares his musings and adventures on Twitter - a story involving a hunt for a cockroach in his apartment kept his over 4,000 followers entertained during the month of August, and even picked up some steam in some of the local papers.
With all the success he's had, Jenkins could rest on his laurels, just don't expect him to.
"I play my heart out every time I play,” Jenkins said. “My coaches push me every week. I just go out and work on my weaknesses and just try to keep getting better and better as the season go on.”
“I guess you could say that's how I approach everything I do.”
