A. J. Jenkins
{{Short description|American football player (born 1989)}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = A. J. Jenkins
| image = A.J. Jenkins.JPG
| caption = Jenkins with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012
| number = 15, 17
| position = Wide receiver
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|9|30}}
| birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 200
| high_school = Terry Parker {{nowrap|(Jacksonville)}}
| college = Illinois (2008–2011)
| draftyear = 2012
| draftround = 1
| draftpick = 30
| pastteams =
- San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|2012}})
- Kansas City Chiefs ({{NFL Year|2013}}–{{NFL Year|2014}})
- Dallas Cowboys ({{NFL Year|2015}})*
| highlights =
- First-team All-Big Ten (2011)
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 17
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 223
| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue3 =
| pfr = JenkA.00
}}
Alfred Alonzo "A. J." Jenkins Jr. (born September 30, 1989{{Cite web |title=A.J. Jenkins Profile |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JenkA.00.htm |access-date=April 26, 2012 |website=FightingIllini.com}}) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
Early life
Jenkins attended Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Florida, where he played on the football team. He finished his junior year with 32 catches for 500 yards, and also rushed for another 251 yards on 40 carries in 2007. As a senior, he hauled in 41 passes for 515 yards, scoring four touchdowns. He was named to Scout.com's Florida Top-50 team. He was ranked the 59th-best recruit in the state of Florida and the No. 53 wide receiver nationally by Rivals.com. He was also named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Super Southern 100 as the 10th-best wide receiver.
He was also a standout sprinter on the track team. In 2006, he posted a personal-best time of 10.75 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the District Meet.
College career
In his first three seasons (2008–2010), he totaled 1,849 all-purpose yards, including 1,156 receiving yards and 694 return yards. On October 1, 2011, he had a career-best performance against Northwestern, with 12 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns.{{Cite web |last=Gould |first=Herb |date=October 4, 2011 |title=Illini's A.J. Jenkins lets his game do the talking |url=http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/8038869-419/illinis-aj-jenkins-lets-his-game-do-the-talking.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006090810/http://www.suntimes.com/sports/colleges/8038869-419/illinis-aj-jenkins-lets-his-game-do-the-talking.html |archive-date=October 6, 2011 |website=Chicago Sun-Times}} His performance against Northwestern broke the Illinois single-game receiving record, ranks fourth in Big Ten Conference history, and earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after the Northwestern game.{{Cite news |last=Powers |first=Scott |date=October 3, 2011 |title=Illinois WR Jenkins earns Big Ten honor |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/chicago/colleges/post/_/id/4006/illinois-wr-jenkins-earns-big-ten-honor |access-date=October 16, 2011 |work=ESPN.com}} Through the first 11 games of his senior season, Jenkins had 1,166 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions.{{Cite web |title=A.J. Jenkins Statistics |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/_/id/14947/aj-jenkins |access-date=November 13, 2011 |website=ESPN.com}}
As of November 20, 2011, Jenkins's 1,166 receiving yards during the 2011 season ranked second in the Big Ten Conference and 11th among NCAA Division I FBS players.{{Cite web |title=NCAA Division I-A Player Receiving Statistics – 2011 (Receiving Yards Leaders – All Players) |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/stats/player |access-date=November 20, 2011 |website=ESPN.com}} At the conclusion of the 2011 season, Jenkins was named First-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media.
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 0 1/4
| weight = 190
| dash = 4.39
| ten split = 1.57
| twenty split = 2.60
| shuttle = 4.12
| cone drill = 6.73
| vertical = 38.5
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 4
| bench = 12
| wonderlic =
| arm span = 32 3/4
| hand span = 9 1/2
| note = All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day{{Citation |title=A.J. Jenkins Draft and Combine Prospect Profile |url=https://www.nfl.com/prospects/a-j-jenkins/32004a45-4e12-4150-a7c7-15f9fa83c1aa |work=NFL.com |access-date=April 27, 2012}}{{Cite web |title=2012 NFL Draft Scout A.J. Jenkins College Football Profile |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=83167&DraftYear=2012 |access-date=July 26, 2023 |website=DraftScout.com}}
}}
=San Francisco 49ers=
The San Francisco 49ers selected Jenkins in the first round (30th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft on April 26, 2012.{{Cite web |title=2012 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2012/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-14 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} News of his draft was referenced in that same night's live episode of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock - cast member Cheyenne Jackson performed the show's opening theme song and referenced Jenkins having just been drafted to prove the show was airing live on the west coast.{{cite web | last=Fucillo | first=David | title=30 Rock Live Show Mentions 49ers Draft Pick A.J. Jenkins | website=Niners Nation | date=2012-04-27 | url=https://www.ninersnation.com/2012/4/27/2981102/30-rock-live-show-mentions-49ers-draft-pick-aj-jenkins | access-date=2024-12-02}}
On June 20, 2012, the San Francisco 49ers signed Jenkins to a four-year, $6.94 million contract.{{Cite web |title=Spotrac.com: A.J. Jenkins contract |url=http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/a.j.-jenkins-9840/ |access-date=December 26, 2017 |website=spotrac.com}}
Although healthy all season, Jenkins was active for only three of the 49ers 16 regular season games.{{Cite web |title=A.J. Jenkins 2012 Game Log |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JenkA.00/gamelog/2012/ |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com}} In his rookie regular season he played in only 37 offensive snaps and was targeted with a pass just once, which he dropped.{{Cite web |last=Branch |first=Eric |date=January 1, 2013 |title=49ers hoping for first contribution from first-round pick |url=https://blog.sfgate.com/49ers/2013/01/01/49ers-hoping-for-first-contribution-from-first-round-pick/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2021 |website=Niner Insider |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130103233051/http://blog.sfgate.com:80/49ers/2013/01/01/49ers-hoping-for-first-contribution-from-first-round-pick/ |archive-date=January 3, 2013 }}
At the end of the 2012 season, Jenkins and the 49ers appeared in Super Bowl XLVII. He appeared in the game but recorded no meaningful statistics as the 49ers fell to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 34–31.{{Cite web |title=Super Bowl XLVII - San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens - February 3rd, 2013 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/201302030sfo.htm |access-date=December 2, 2017 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}
=Kansas City Chiefs=
On August 19, 2013, Jenkins was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for wide receiver Jon Baldwin.{{Cite web |last=Pelissero |first=Tom |date=August 19, 2013 |title=49ers deal WR A.J. Jenkins to Chiefs for WR Jon Baldwin |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/niners/2013/08/19/wide-receiver-aj-jenkins-trade-kansas-city-chiefs/2671155/ |access-date=August 20, 2013 |website=USA Today}}
During a Thursday Night Football game on September 19, 2013, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Jenkins recorded his first career reception, thrown by former 49ers teammate Alex Smith. The reception was good for 6 yards. His first reception came 511 days after he was selected.
On February 17, 2015, Jenkins was released by the Chiefs.{{Cite web |last=Wesseling |first=Chris |date=February 17, 2015 |title=Donnie Avery, A.J. Jenkins released by Kansas City Chiefs |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/donnie-avery-a-j-jenkins-released-by-chiefs-0ap3000000470872 |access-date=February 17, 2015 |website=NFL.com}}
=Dallas Cowboys=
On May 26, 2015, Jenkins was signed by the Dallas Cowboys.{{cite web | last=Archer | first=Todd | title=Cowboys boost WR depth, ink draft bust Jenkins | website=ESPN.com | date=2015-05-26 | url=https://www.espn.co.uk/nfl/story/_/id/12954589/dallas-cowboys-sign-aj-jenkins | access-date=2025-01-05}} He was released prior to the start of the regular season on September 5, 2015.{{Cite web |last=Helman |first=David |date=September 5, 2015 |title=Vaughan, Showers Among Notable Cuts As Cowboys Meet 53-Man Roster Limit |url=http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/09/05/vaughan-showers-among-notable-cuts-cowboys-meet-53-man-roster-limit |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806020247/http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2015/09/05/vaughan-showers-among-notable-cuts-cowboys-meet-53-man-roster-limit |archive-date=August 6, 2017 |access-date=September 30, 2015 |website=DallasCowboys.com}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Footballstats |nfl=2532876 |espn=14947 |pfr=J/JenkA.00|yahoo=25740}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111020210447/http://www.fightingillini.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/jenkins_aj00.html Illinois profile]
{{2012 NFL Draft}}
{{49ersFirstPick}}
{{San Francisco 49ers 2012 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, A. J.}}
Category:Terry Parker High School alumni
Category:Players of American football from Jacksonville, Florida
Category:American football wide receivers
Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football players
Category:San Francisco 49ers players