JERREL JERNIGAN

Change Page*EDITOR’S NOTE- This story orginally ran in 2017 as a part of the Class of 2017 Troy Sports Hall of Fame ceremony.* A native of nearby Eufaula, Ala., Jerrel Jernigan is one of the most prolific players in Troy football history. A seven-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, Jernigan’s name is littered throughout the Troy record book and included in the box scores of some of the school’s most memorable football games. Jernigan led Eufaula High School to the Alabama Class 5A state title in 2006 as the team’s quarterback and was named first team all-state in the process. He also lettered in basketball and baseball, but the gridiron is where he excelled. Jernigan easily caught the eye of the Trojan coaching staff, especially head coach Larry Blakeney. “He was a guy that could make something happen out of nothing,” Blakeney said. “He was a versatile athlete and a top class person. There were things Jerrel could do on the football field that you couldn’t prepare for, he was just so athletic. If you threw it to him, you pretty much knew he would catch it. He was most dangerous after he got the ball, he had a knack for finding open space.” Jernigan, who moved to wide receiver at Troy, used his athleticism to accumulate 5,985 all-purpose yards over his career which spanned from 2007-10 - at the time he was one of just three Sun Belt players to ever eclipse the 5,000-yard mark. His versatility on the field was so defined and dramatic that Jernigan has 1,806 more all-purpose yards than the next closest Trojan on the list – Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Perry Griggs. He also holds records for receiving yards (3,128), pass receptions (262) and pass receptions per game (5.24); Jernigan ranks in the top five in Sun Belt history in four categories as well. In his time in a Trojan uniform, Jernigan saw action in four different positions – quarterback, wide receiver, punt returner and kick returner. Jernigan won four Sun Belt Conference titles as a member of the Trojans and helped lead Troy to four bowl appearances. As a sophomore, he broke Troy’s 40-year-old receptions record as he pulled down 77 catches despite missing the equivalent of two games to injury. His record didn’t stand for long as Jernigan broke his own mark two seasons later when he caught 84 passes en route to his third straight All-Sun Belt First Team honor as a wide receiver – he was twice named first team as an all-purpose player and twice named second team as a return specialist. Jernigan was named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week during his sophomore season in 2008 after hauling in five passes for 131 yards and a score, rushing for 88 yards on 10 carries as well as throwing a touchdown pass against Florida International. Jernigan’s junior season was just as eventful as he caught 71 passes for 1,101 yards; totals that rank fifth and second heading into the 2017 season. “He could do it all,” Blakeney said. “He could run, throw and catch. He changed teams’ entire game plans. He wasn’t the biggest player on the field, but he had one of the biggest hearts and he is very deserving of the accolades he has received over his career especially the Troy Hall of Fame.” Considered one of the best prospects at the wide receiver position, Jernigan was selected 83rd overall (third round) by the New York Giants in the 2011 NFL Draft. He caught 38 passes for 391 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his four-year NFL career and was a member of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI championship team in 2012. Following his professional career, Jernigan continued his life in football as a coach where it all began for him, Eufaula High School.