 Jenkins with theAtlanta Falcons in 2006 | |||||||||
| No. 12, 84 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1982-06-18)June 18, 1982 (age 43) Tampa, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 214 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | A. P. Leto (Tampa, Florida) | ||||||||
| College | Ohio State (2000–2003) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2004: 1st round, 29th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Michael Gerard Jenkins (born June 18, 1982) is an American former professionalfootball player who was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the2004 NFL draft by theAtlanta Falcons and also played for theMinnesota Vikings.[1] He playedcollege football atOhio State University.
Jenkins attendedA.P. Leto High School in Tampa, Florida where he was a record-breaking track star. He received many awards for his outstanding athletic performance, stellar academic achievement, and school leadership.
Jenkins became a three-year starter for theOhio State Buckeyes, starting 38 of his final 39 games, he caught 165 passes for 2,898 yards with a 17.6 average, and scored 16 touchdowns in his career. He finished his career with at least one reception in 38 consecutive games and helped the Buckeyes capture the2002BCS National Championship at the2003 Fiesta Bowl.
His 2,898 yards rank eighth on theBig Ten Conference career-record list, while also topping the previous school career-record of 2,855 byDavid Boston. Jenkins earned an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention as a senior after leading the team with 55 receptions for 834 yards with a 15.2 average and 7 touchdowns while adding 178 yards and a touchdown on 20 punt returns. He was also an All-Big Ten Conference second-team choice as a junior after leading the team with a career-high 61 receptions for 1,076 yards (17.6 average) and 6 touchdowns.
During the 2002 Ohio State National championship season, Jenkins made one of the biggest and most memorable catches in Buckeye history, the "Holy Buckeye" play at Purdue. In the first overtime period of Ohio State's victory in the 2002 BCS National Championship game over the Miami Hurricanes, Jenkins caught a pass on 4th and 14 from Craig Krenzel that gave the Buckeyes a first down and eventually allowed the Buckeyes to prevail 31–24 in two overtimes.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft4+1⁄2 in (1.94 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | 32+5⁄8 in (0.83 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.38 s | 4.31 s | 6.95 s | 34.0 in (0.86 m) | 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) | ||||
| Sources:[2][3] | ||||||||||||
Jenkins played in all 16 games of his rookie season, recording seven receptions for 119 yards. His 17.0 average led the team and his eight special teams tackles ranked fourth. He made his first NFL reception for 46 yards against theDenver Broncos.
With the slump and eventual release of wide receiverPeerless Price, the Falcons turned to Jenkins to start. Although FalconsquarterbackMichael Vick turned to him more often, Jenkins was not a gigantic factor in the Falcons' less-than-stellar offense for the 2005 season. He played in 14 games and started 12 of them after Price left for theDallas Cowboys. Jenkins made his first career start against thePhiladelphia Eagles, leading the team with three grabs for 80 yards. He improved from his rookie season, catching 38 passes for 506 yards. He also caught three touchdowns, the first against the ailingBuffalo Bills.
Jenkins started all 16 games for the first time in his career and registered 436 receiving yards on a then career-high 39 catches with a career-high seven touchdowns. He led the team with 77 receiving yards on 3 receptions (25.7 average), including a 34-yard touchdown catch in the season opener against theCarolina Panthers.
Jenkins had 53 receptions for 532 yards and four touchdowns in his fourth year with the team. He tallied a season-high 76 receiving yards on six receptions against theCarolina Panthers and posted six catches for 64 yards with a career-high two touchdowns against theHouston Texans. Jenkins reached a career-high nine receptions for a team-high 73 yards against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, and tied a career-high with nine grabs for a career-high 83 yards against theNew Orleans Saints.
Jenkins caught the first pass of rookie quarterbackMatt Ryan's NFL career and took it for a 62-yard touchdown against theDetroit Lions. Jenkins caught a pass and ran out of bounds, stopping the clock with 1 second left and allowingJason Elam to successfully convert a 48-yard field goal to defeat theChicago Bears during their week 6 game.
Jenkins set a new career high in receiving yards in 2008 with 777.
Jenkins started for the Falcons in 2009. He finished the season with 50 receptions, 635 yards, and a touchdown.
After suffering an injury in an offseason team scrimmage, Michael Jenkins would miss 4 to 6 weeks. As a result, Jenkins started just 9 regular season games for theFalcons in 2010, finishing with 41 receptions for 505 yards and 2 touchdown receptions. Atlanta finished with the best record in the NFC at 13–3, but the Falcons were upset by the eventualSuper Bowl ChampionGreen Bay Packers in the Divisional Playoffs. In the 48–21 loss to Green Bay, Jenkins recorded 6 receptions for 67 yards.
On July 29, 2011, Jenkins was released by the Atlanta Falcons.[4] A day later, he signed with theMinnesota Vikings.
He was placed oninjured reserve on November 29, 2011. He caught 38 passes for 466 yards and scored three touchdowns during the season.[5]
Jenkins was signed by the Vikings for a 3-year contract. In week 7 of that year, Jenkins caught a 72-yard pass on the first play of the game, only to be tackled at the 1 yard line.Jenkins had 38 receptions for 466 yards that season. The Vikings would go on to tie the worst season in franchise history, with a 3–13 record.
Jenkins returned with the Vikings in 2012. Minnesota was 9–6 in week 17 and had to beat the Green Bay Packers to advance to the playoffs. Jenkins caught a diving touchdown in the 4th quarter that gave the Vikings the lead. The Vikings would go on to win that game 37–34, only to lose to the Packers in the first round of playoffs the following week.
On March 4, 2013, Jenkins was released by the Vikings.[6]
Jenkins signed with theNew England Patriots on March 28, 2013.[7] He was released on August 15, 2013.[8]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2004 | ATL | 16 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 119 | 17.0 | 46 | 0 |
| 2005 | ATL | 14 | 12 | 71 | 36 | 508 | 14.1 | 58 | 3 |
| 2006 | ATL | 16 | 16 | 83 | 39 | 436 | 11.2 | 34 | 7 |
| 2007 | ATL | 15 | 6 | 85 | 53 | 532 | 10.0 | 29 | 4 |
| 2008 | ATL | 16 | 12 | 81 | 50 | 777 | 15.5 | 62 | 3 |
| 2009 | ATL | 15 | 9 | 90 | 50 | 635 | 12.7 | 50 | 1 |
| 2010 | ATL | 11 | 9 | 73 | 41 | 505 | 12.3 | 43 | 2 |
| 2011 | MIN | 11 | 7 | 55 | 38 | 466 | 12.3 | 72 | 3 |
| 2012 | MIN | 16 | 8 | 72 | 40 | 449 | 11.2 | 32 | 2 |
| 130 | 79 | 630 | 354 | 4,427 | 12.5 | 72 | 25 | ||
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2004 | ATL | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 14 | 0 |
| 2008 | ATL | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 21 | 0 |
| 2010 | ATL | 1 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 67 | 11.2 | 22 | 0 |
| 2012 | MIN | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 96 | 32.0 | 50 | 1 |
| 5 | 3 | 29 | 17 | 240 | 14.1 | 50 | 1 | ||
Jenkins and his wife, Toya, currently reside in Georgia. A graduate ofA. P. Leto High School in Tampa, Jenkins donated football uniforms to his alma mater in 2008, telling theSt. Petersburg Times, "You're always kind of fighting for your school".[9]
Media related toMichael Jenkins at Wikimedia Commons