Ronney Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Ronney Jenkins is an American football
player from Los Angeles, California
. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Ronney Jenkins is a relatively small football player, but he is noted for his tremendous speed.
in Oxnard, California
, and he garnered much national attention during his senior season. On November 9, 1995, he set the national record for most yards rushing in a single game during a 52-34 victory over Rio Mesa High School
. Jenkins carried the ball 30 times for 619 yards and 7 touchdowns. The previous record of 608 yards had been set by John Bunch in Arkansas
in 1974. Jenkins' total shattered the California state record of 507 yards, set by David Dotson of Valley View High School
in 1991. The national record stood until 2006, when Paul McCoy
of Matewan High School rushed for 658 yards in a single game.
because BYU had shown interest in him long before his record-breaking single-game performance. His freshman season with the Cougars (1996) was impressive: he rushed for 733 yards and scored a team-high 14 touchdowns (including 11 rushing TDs) despite being a backup to Brian McKenzie the entire season. He also led the Cougars in kickoff returning; for his efforts, he was named WAC
Freshman of the Year. With help from Jenkins, BYU beat Kansas State University
in the Cotton Bowl Classic and finished the year with a 14-1 record, becoming the first team in the history of Division I-A football to win 14 games in a season.
In the off-season, BYU suspended Jenkins for violating the school's "honor code". He was forced to sit out the entire 1997 season, but returned as BYU's full-time starter at tailback in 1998. He was the Cougars' top offensive weapon that season, rushing for 1,307 yards (at the time, the second-highest total in school history). He also totaled 15 touchdowns, which tied for the second-highest total in school history. He was named to the 1998 All-WAC 2nd Team. In a 46-43 victory over San Jose State, Jenkins rushed for 250 yards (the second-highest total in BYU history) and scored 5 touchdowns, which tied a school record.
In 1999, Jenkins was again disciplined by BYU for violating the honor code. Because it was a second offense, he was expelled from the school. He transferred to Northern Arizona University
. He played one season for the Lumberjacks, but made a big impact while he was there. He rushed for 1,051 yards and 7 touchdowns, and added 67 receptions for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Big Sky 2nd Team.
and almost immediately became the team's top kickoff returner. In his rookie season, he set franchise records for most kickoff returns (67) and most kickoff return yards (1,531), eclipsing totals set by Andre Coleman in 1995. He returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints
in Week 2, and was named AFC
Special Teams Player of the Week.
In 2001, he was even better. He averaged 26.6 yards per kickoff return, leading the entire NFL in that category. He totaled 1,541 yards in kickoff returns, which broke the team record he had set in 2000. In a game against the Oakland Raiders
, he totaled 250 yards in kickoff returns, which set another team record. In the game, he had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and added a 67-yard return to start the second half. Jenkins also had an 88-yard touchdown return against the Denver Broncos
, and added a 72-yard return against the Buffalo Bills
. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October 2001, and was chosen as an alternate for the AFC's Pro Bowl
team.
Jenkins was limited by injuries in 2002, but still managed to return 40 kickoffs for 925 yards (an average of 23.1 yards per return). In just three seasons, Jenkins had become the Chargers' all-time leader in kickoff return yards with 3,997. In 2003, Jenkins signed a free agent contract with the Raiders. In the 2003 season, he was again limited by injuries (a severe ankle sprain). He played in just seven games, returning 25 kickoffs for 553 yards. When the Raiders needed to clear space on their roster for the addition of veteran quarterback Rob Johnson, they decided to waive Jenkins.
Jenkins spent the 2004 off-season with the Saints, but was waived by the team before the regular season began. In September 2004, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
. He saw limited action in his first season in the CFL; in five games, he rushed 11 times for 50 yards and caught 4 passes for 30 yards. He did not see much action in his second season, either: he rushed 11 times for 84 yards and added 3 receptions for 13 yards. The Stampeders released Jenkins in September 2005. The following year, he joined the Calgary Gators of the Alberta Football League
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Ronney Jenkins is a relatively small football player, but he is noted for his tremendous speed.
High school career
Jenkins had an outstanding prep career while playing for Hueneme High SchoolHueneme High School
Hueneme High School, or HHS as it is more often referred to, is a public four-year high school serving grades 9-12 in Oxnard, California. The school was founded in 1959 and sits in the heart of South Oxnard...
in Oxnard, California
Oxnard, California
Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the...
, and he garnered much national attention during his senior season. On November 9, 1995, he set the national record for most yards rushing in a single game during a 52-34 victory over Rio Mesa High School
Rio Mesa High School
Rio Mesa High School is located in Oxnard, California and is within the Oxnard Union High School District. It serves the Oxnard communities of Northern Oxnard, River Park, Nyeland Acres, and El Rio, as well as the western portion of the city of Camarillo...
. Jenkins carried the ball 30 times for 619 yards and 7 touchdowns. The previous record of 608 yards had been set by John Bunch in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in 1974. Jenkins' total shattered the California state record of 507 yards, set by David Dotson of Valley View High School
Valley View High School
Valley View High School may refer to* Valley View High School — Jonesboro, Arkansas* Valley View High School * Valley View High School...
in 1991. The national record stood until 2006, when Paul McCoy
Paul McCoy
Paul McCoy is an American musician. He is the lead singer and main-songwriter of Louisiana post-grunge band 12 Stones.-Biography:...
of Matewan High School rushed for 658 yards in a single game.
College career
Jenkins was heavily recruited by many schools across the country, but chose to play at Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
because BYU had shown interest in him long before his record-breaking single-game performance. His freshman season with the Cougars (1996) was impressive: he rushed for 733 yards and scored a team-high 14 touchdowns (including 11 rushing TDs) despite being a backup to Brian McKenzie the entire season. He also led the Cougars in kickoff returning; for his efforts, he was named WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
Freshman of the Year. With help from Jenkins, BYU beat Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
in the Cotton Bowl Classic and finished the year with a 14-1 record, becoming the first team in the history of Division I-A football to win 14 games in a season.
In the off-season, BYU suspended Jenkins for violating the school's "honor code". He was forced to sit out the entire 1997 season, but returned as BYU's full-time starter at tailback in 1998. He was the Cougars' top offensive weapon that season, rushing for 1,307 yards (at the time, the second-highest total in school history). He also totaled 15 touchdowns, which tied for the second-highest total in school history. He was named to the 1998 All-WAC 2nd Team. In a 46-43 victory over San Jose State, Jenkins rushed for 250 yards (the second-highest total in BYU history) and scored 5 touchdowns, which tied a school record.
In 1999, Jenkins was again disciplined by BYU for violating the honor code. Because it was a second offense, he was expelled from the school. He transferred to Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
. He played one season for the Lumberjacks, but made a big impact while he was there. He rushed for 1,051 yards and 7 touchdowns, and added 67 receptions for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Big Sky 2nd Team.
Professional career
Jenkins entered the NFL in 2000 as a rookie free agent. He joined the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and almost immediately became the team's top kickoff returner. In his rookie season, he set franchise records for most kickoff returns (67) and most kickoff return yards (1,531), eclipsing totals set by Andre Coleman in 1995. He returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in Week 2, and was named AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Special Teams Player of the Week.
In 2001, he was even better. He averaged 26.6 yards per kickoff return, leading the entire NFL in that category. He totaled 1,541 yards in kickoff returns, which broke the team record he had set in 2000. In a game against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he totaled 250 yards in kickoff returns, which set another team record. In the game, he had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and added a 67-yard return to start the second half. Jenkins also had an 88-yard touchdown return against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and added a 72-yard return against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October 2001, and was chosen as an alternate for the AFC's Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
team.
Jenkins was limited by injuries in 2002, but still managed to return 40 kickoffs for 925 yards (an average of 23.1 yards per return). In just three seasons, Jenkins had become the Chargers' all-time leader in kickoff return yards with 3,997. In 2003, Jenkins signed a free agent contract with the Raiders. In the 2003 season, he was again limited by injuries (a severe ankle sprain). He played in just seven games, returning 25 kickoffs for 553 yards. When the Raiders needed to clear space on their roster for the addition of veteran quarterback Rob Johnson, they decided to waive Jenkins.
Jenkins spent the 2004 off-season with the Saints, but was waived by the team before the regular season began. In September 2004, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He saw limited action in his first season in the CFL; in five games, he rushed 11 times for 50 yards and caught 4 passes for 30 yards. He did not see much action in his second season, either: he rushed 11 times for 84 yards and added 3 receptions for 13 yards. The Stampeders released Jenkins in September 2005. The following year, he joined the Calgary Gators of the Alberta Football League