‘A Swiss army knife’
Acadia football player Jennings chosen to take part in National CFL Combine in Winnipeg
A senior free safety for the Axemen football team will have an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing professional football.
Brandon Jennings, from St. Albert, AB, was chosen to take part in the National CFL Combine in Winnipeg March 22-24.
For the sixth consecutive year, the CFL hosted a trio of regional combines ahead of the main CFL Combine. Jennings didn’t attend the regional combines, but was invited to the national event.
The National CFL Combine took place at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg, where players will undergo medical examinations, performance, strength and speed tests, onfield football drills and team interviews over the two- day combine in front of CFL team’s scouts, general managers and coaches.
Jennings was an AUS All-Star and second team U SPORTS AllCanadian free safety during the 2016 season and attend the U SPORTS East-West Bowl in the spring of 2017.
“I’ve been excited to go for five years. The fact that it’s almost here is indescribable. I was fortunate to get invited to the East West Bowl game last year, and that was a big stepping stone to this invitation,” said Jennings prior to leaving for the event.
Jennings is only one of two AUS football players on the National CFL Combine roster. Player evaluations are based on size, athleticism, versatility and character.
This past season Jennings, from his defensive free safety position, had 12 solo tackles and 12 assisted. In 2016, Jennings posted a career high 32 tackles and 12 assisted. He also has taken on punting duties for the last two seasons.
“I believe that versatility is an asset for me, and that’s why I think I’ve have interest from teams across the league,” said Jennings.
When asked about the people who influenced him over the years, Jennings’ answer was easy: his parents.
“Neither one of my parents have ever played football, yet I’d say they’re the biggest influencers in my life that have gotten me here,” he said.
“A lot of the time it’s not what you do, it’s how you do it; that’s a mentality instilled in me since childhood. I’ve also been surrounded by great players at Acadia, who have helped me learn tough lessons around character, hard work and integrity, and that has pushed me in the right direction for the last five years leading up to this.”
Axemen head coach Jeff Cummins noted Jennings’ growth as a player of the last three seasons where he has focused his effort to become the best he can mentally and physically.
“Brandon is a very dedicated athlete and player that has gotten better over time. He has grown up a lot mentally over the last three years and therefore brings a high football IQ to the free safety position,” Cummins said.
“Over the last two seasons, Brandon has become our fulltime punter, also kicks off and has done a lot of place kicking too. So, you could say Brandon is a bit of a Swiss army knife within our football team. He has great passion for the game of football, along with Acadia University and his team mates. He has very high expectations for himself at the combine and we are all very proud and excited to see him compete.”
The results of Jennings’ effort during the Combine weekend will reap rewards in the eventual CFL draft in May.
“I’ve always had a dream of playing pro, and as time has gone on there’s been a mental shift that transitioned my dream to a goal, and hopefully soon that goal to a reality,” added Jennings.