In 2008, the Southeastern Conference was buzzing with talk of a young cornerback who was doing what was nearly unthinkable: starting as a true freshman for the Florida Gators, and turning in solid performances week after week. By the time the season was in the books and Jenkins was a member of the SEC’s all freshman squad, it seemed a lock that Jenkins would be a first round pick following his junior season at Florida.
Fast forward to the present however, and you find a picture in 2012 that is a much cloudier than one would have expected in 2008. After a series of bad decisions and arrests cost Jenkins his senior year at Florida, many have wondered whether Jenkins is worth a first round pick at all. His on the field talent is without question, but are there just too many off the field question marks for a team to feel comfortable in drafting him?
Early Warning Signs
The problems started in 2009, when Jenkins was arrested following a fight outside of a bar in Gainesville. In the incident, another patron of the bar reportedly attempted to steal a gold chain that Jenkins was wearing. A fight ensued, and Jenkins ignored multiple orders from responding police officers to desist. Jenkins was tasered, but then ran from police for a short distance before he was finally apprehended and charged with resisting arrest.
On its own, this one incident wouldn’t be too much of a concern for interested NFL teams. It could be construed as a case of self-defense taken too far in the heat of the moment. There was poor judgment at play (the old adage that nothing good happens when you’re out at 2 am holds true here), but one misdemeanor charge usually isn’t enough to drastically hurt a talented player’s draft status.
Following his 2009 arrest, things appeared to be going well for Jenkins, as he stayed out of trouble off the field, and during the 2009 season he started and played well in 13 games. Jenkins still was regarded as one of the best defensive players in the SEC and his pro prospects were as good as ever.
Beginning of the End
Somewhere during the first two or three weeks of the 2010 season, Jenkins suffered a right shoulder injury that would stay with him for the rest of the season. Jenkins elected to play through the injury, which was revealed at the end of the season to be a torn labrum. Jenkins played well in spite of the injury, and the Gators kept it a secret until Jenkins underwent surgery at the end of the year.
Unexpectedly, the injury caused more problems off the field than on it. Following the surgery, Jenkins wasn’t able to do much in regards to working out, giving him far too much spare time to spend with the wrong crowd. The injury also would have kept Jenkins from preparing for the draft, so he decided to stay at Florida for his senior year.
Unfortunately, Jenkins also stayed away from winter workouts, and by the time April 2010 rolled around, Jenkins had been caught smoking marijuana twice in four months. The two arrests, paired with at least one failed drug test (Jenkins says there was only one, several other sources indicate there were more than that), were more than new head coach Will Muschamp was willing to put up with, and Jenkins was dismissed from Florida’s football program.
A Final Chance
With his dismissal from Florida coming after the deadline to declare for the NFL Draft, Jenkins had to choose between entering the supplemental draft, or playing at a lower division team in 2011 (if one would take him on). He elected to transfer to the University of North Alabama, but only after he spent several conversations with head coach Terry Bowden convincing him that he was a changed man. Bowden did his homework, talking with Jenkins’ friends, family members, and coaches at Florida, and finally decided Jenkins was worth the risk. “They assured me he was worth the risk because of the mistakes he’d made and the circumstances they’d come under”, he recalled to Marla Ridenour.
Bowden said he felt Jenkins’ time at UNA served as a huge wake-up call: “North Alabama is a Division II public school. You don’t have all that luxury stuff. ..He wasn’t used to having nothing… He has to be part of a team. He has to get his teammates to accept him. He’s got to not want preferential treatment. He’s got to give up a lot of the things he had.”
In spite of that adversity, Jenkins played at a high level, recording 43 tackles, eight passes defended, and three interceptions even though most opponents rarely tried to challenge him in coverage. Jenkins also made plays on special teams, scoring three touchdowns on punt returns.
Lingering Concerns
For the most part Jenkins’ time at UNA was uneventful. The only new red flag would be a game against Delta State in which he was ejected for throwing a punch after Delta State scored a touchdown. Because of that ejection, Jenkins was also suspended for the first half of UNA’s following game.
However, there is still plenty for NFL teams to be concerned about. During the Combine, Jenkins revealed that he is the father of four children with three different women. At the very least, that revelation raised some new questions about whether Jenkins was still behaving irresponsibly from time to time. On a larger scale, if that type of behavior continued, teams could have legitimate concerns about whether Jenkins could focus sufficiently on football during the season. Players such as Antonio Cromartie and Travis Henry are perfect examples of how too much off the field drama can often derail careers on the field.
Also concerning is how Jenkins kept his children a secret for so long. Even Terry Bowden, who so diligently investigated Jenkins past, was surprised by Jenkins statement in Indianapolis. It raises some serious concerns for teams, who now have to wonder just how forthcoming Jenkins will be in their interviews with him.
Worth the Risk?
Jenkins helped himself at the Combine by being honest and up front about his past: “I take full responsibility. I learned from it (his arrests). It made me a stronger person, taught me how to fight through adversity, that I’ve got to separate myself from certain people. To be successful at the next level, I can’t do the things I used to do.”
At the very least, Jenkins was well coached on how to handle the difficult questions regarding his past. Has he truly matured, or is this all a façade? According to Bowden, Jenkins is mature and a team player now: “He proved how unselfish he was. Not just returning punts because that’s kind of fun. He was the first guy who covered every punt and kickoff. That’s the blue-collar stuff. That’s where he showed his willingness to do whatever it took for our team.”
In a vacuum, Jenkins could very well be the top defensive back in the draft. He’s athletic enough to play the next level, he’s proven to be a playmaker at college football’s highest level, and he’s shown he has the toughness and heart to play through serious injuries for an entire season. It appears as though he’s matured from his time at Florida, though some question marks still remain. Will teams find him to be worth the risk? Only time will tell.
Sources:
All quotes from Bowden came from the Marla Ridenour article:
http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/marla-ridenour-terry-bowden-gave-janoris-jenkins-a-chance-now-it-s-nfl-s-turn-1.268515?localLinksEnabled=false
Jenkins’s general history came from CBS Sports:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1620533/janoris-jenkins
Jenkins’s quotes at the Combine:
http://predominantlyorange.com/2012/02/28/janoris-jenkins-when-past-catches-up-with-present/
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