10on10: Huddling with QB Jonathon Jennings
It’s still early in his CFL career, but the B.C. Lions’ rookie quarterback has given his 5-8 team, and their loyal fans, a jolt of optimism as the team aims to extend its playoff streak to 19 seasons. The Sun’s Mike Beamish chats with the emerging pivot
THE SKINNY
Position: Quarterback Height, weight: 6-0, 196 Birthdate: July 21, 1992, Columbus, Ohio College: Saginaw Valley State, University Center, Mich. Major: Finance High School: Westerville South, Westerville, Ohio Favourite Subject: Math How acquired: Signed by the Lions after a free-agent camp in Atlanta. Jennings had previous workouts with the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Noteworthy: The 2013 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Jennings finished his career as the conference’s career leader in passing (9,546 yards) and total offence (10,700).
1 HE HAS PLAYED DRUMS SINCE THE AGE OF TWO.
Jennings started playing on a toy drum at age two and graduated to a regular drum kit at six. His parents say he was inspired by the gospel band at their church, Union Tabernacle of God in Columbus, Ohio. In high school, Jennings was a member of the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra and travelled to Peru with the group in his senior year.
2 HIS LOCKER IS NEXT TO ROOKIE LINEBACKER ADRIAN CLARKE,
the biggest Toronto Blue Jays fan on the Lions. But Jennings doesn’t care for baseball. “I’ve never been a fan of baseball, not at all, “Jennings admits. “My mom thought it was boring, so I never played it. My girlfriend’s parents keep up with the (Cleveland) Indians. So I watch it, whenever I’m over there. That’s the only time I do.”
3 BRENDA JENNINGS, JON’S MOM, IS A HUGE FAN OF THE BUFFALO SABRES.
Brenda grew up in Youngstown, N.Y., across the Niagara River from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., and directly across Lake Ontario from Toronto. As a girl, she was a devoted Buffalo Sabres fan during the glory years of the French Connection line of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert, all of whom are inducted in the Sabres Hall of Fame. Robert, now 66 years old, was her favourite. Jon didn’t get a lot of opportunities to play hockey and is indifferent to the game.
4 JON IS THE OLDEST IN A FAMILY OF FOUR SIBLINGS.
Jennings’ 21-year-old sister, Alyssa, worked in the rare books department at Ohio State University and is working on an M.A. in Medieval Studies at the University of York in York, England, a city surrounded by ancient walls and founded by the Romans in 71 A.D. His younger brother, Brian, is a senior at Westerville South high school. Like Jon, he plays quarterback. Cara, the youngest, is a cheerleader in middle school.
5 JENNINGS PLAYED AT WESTERVILLE SOUTH, HOME OF THE WILDCATS, A HIGH SCHOOL WITH A FOOTBALL TRADITION.
Andy (the Big Kat) Katzenmoyer, a sensational middle linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes, was one of a number of prominent players who played on the big stage at Jennings’ high school alma mater, Westerville South. Katzenmoyer led the Wildcats to the Division I state high school finals in 1994, where they lost to Cleveland St. Ignatius. He was later drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots, but his NFL career was cut short by neck injuries. Running back Ki-Jana Carter moved on from Westerville to Penn State and was the No. 1 player chosen in the 1995 NFL draft, by the Cincinnati Bengals. Receiver Lance Moore, another Westerville South grad, won a Super Bowl in 2009 with the New Orleans Saints. The 10-year NFL veteran now plays for the Detroit Lions. His younger brother, Nick Moore, is the leading receiver this season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who represent the Lions’ opponent tonight at BC Place Stadium. Moore has 60 catches for 730 yards, despite missing three games with injuries.
6 BASKETBALL IS JON’S SECOND LOVE.
At Westerville, Jennings was the sixth man on a Wildcats varsity team that revolved around Traevon Jackson, who carried an NBA pedigree and went on to become a point guard with the Wisconsin Badgers. Jackson’s biological father, Jim Jackson, was a former Ohio State standout who was drafted fourth overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1992. Traevon Jackson played for the Washington Wizards in the 2015 NBA Summer League.
7 JENNINGS WAS NOT HEAVILY RECRUITED IN HIGH SCHOOL. THERE’S A REASON.
Some college teams might regret they didn’t take a chance on Jennings, who received offers from four NCAA Division II schools (where the majority of athletes are not on full-ride athletic scholarships) and Cornell Big Red of the Ivy League. While the future performance of 18-to-22-year-old males is generally tough to predict, Jennings was overlooked by major schools because of his injury history. In high school, he broke his ankle in his sophomore year and fell out of the quarterback loop. As a junior, he mostly played safety. As a senior, he fractured his collarbone going into the season. Upon his return, Jennings spent much of the time handing off in the Wildcats’ runheavy offence.
8 WHY HE TURNED HIS BACK ON CORNELL.
While his mom, Brenda, is a graduate (landscape architecture) of the school in Ithaca, N.Y., Jennings decided against an Ivy League education due to Jeff Mathews and because the Big Red wanted him to play safety. Mathews, who is a year older than Jennings, was Cornell’s choice to play quarterback. He went on to set 65 Cornell and Ivy League records in a fouryear career there. Coincidentally, Jennings and Mathews later attended an evaluation workout together with the Green Bay Packers. Another reunion could be in the offing, Oct. 23, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are in Vancouver. Mathews is the Ticats’ current starting quarterback, replacing the injured Zach Collaros.
9 HE AIMS HIGH.
Sacks kill drives, limit production and lead to injuries. Jennings tries to avoid them if at all possible by emulating two of the game’s best quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers, both known for the ability to elude the rush and extend plays with their feet. “I think they’re both very similar,” he says. “They’re looking to stretch the field with their arm first. If the play breaks down, they use their legs. I think Russell runs a little bit more than Aaron, but Aaron continues to have his eyes downfield. If they give you a running lane, and you can use it, that’s good. At the same time, you want your eyes looking downfield.” Of Jennings’ 52 completed passes this season, eight have been for 30-plus yards. By comparison, Travis Lulay has seven in 153 completions. John Beck had zero among his 50 completed passes.
10 A MEMBER OF THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE IS HIS HERO.
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays Jennings’ dad, Calvin, a former draughtsman turned letter carrier, from the swift completion of his rounds with the U.S. Postal Service. “He’s 64, he goes to work every day and never complains,” Jon says. “Looking at how devoted he is to his family and his Christian faith, I’ve always admired that. He’s the role model I look up to.”