Michiko Araki
On the second day of mini camp, we had a chance to speak with Jonathon Jennings, a quarterback and aspiring BC Lion.
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Jennings attended high school in Columbus before leaving home for Saginaw Valley State (SVSU), a Division II NCAA School in Michigan. There, he immediately made an impact on the team by playing as a true freshman and starting in five of nine games. In his four years at SVSU, he recorded 799 complete passes for a total of 10710 yards, averaging 13.5 yards per pass. He also had a 64.6% completion rate which helped him throw 96 touchdown passes in the 43 games he played in his college career.
Off the field, Jennings worked to obtain a Finance degree while working toward his dream of playing in the pros.
“I always liked numbers. My mom went to Cornell so she was a smart lady,” he explains.
Jennings had a busy year last year, starting with an invite to the Saskatchewan Roughriders camp. Shooting for the NFL, he attended mini camps with the Detroit Lions and the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I felt like I did pretty well but didn’t get a call back, and then I had a workout with the Packers. Nothing happened and I ended up sitting out all of last year [before getting] a call from the BC Lions late in the year. I saw it as a great opportunity and I’m excited to have a chance again,” he says.
When he isn’t playing football, Jennings enjoys playing the drums and golfing.
“I love golf. I’m a golf addict, I go way too much. It’s relaxing and it gets me away from the stresses of life,” he says.
Jennings also quotes his parents as his biggest influences.
“My dad is such a humbling, hard worker. I try to follow in his footsteps, be diligent in my work, and do everything I’m supposed to do to keep on the right path and continue to strive for success.”
Other aspiring first year Lions will have their last day of mini camp tomorrow before joining the rest of the Lions on Sunday, May 31st for the first day of the 2015 Training Camp.