Not all nicknames need to be complicated. The nickname stuck, and Jenkins, now 33, still leaves Jackrabbit. The next step for Jenkins, who won a national championship in Florida, is finally a Super Bowl ring. After that, he should make sure the NFL finally recognizes him by his preferred name. The Titans have committed, and slowly but surely more of them are getting the image and referring to Jenkins by his nickname. He prefers to be called Jackrabbit. Coincidentally, the Pahokee area of South Florida, where Jenkins is from, is known for its fast athletes who catch rabbits as they flee the burning sugarcane fields. But that`s not how Jenkins got the name. Jenkins hails from Pahokee, Florida, where rabbit hunting is common — hence his nickname. Simply put, Jenkins doesn`t like the name Janoris. “It comes from college,” Jenkins said of Arthur`s nickname. “When I got to university, I went in (for) the spring ball in January. I really didn`t know any pieces when I came out, but I did a lot.
We walked into the movie theater and my coach just said, “You`re moving fast. You move like a rabbit. Because where I come from, we catch rabbits. » Daily exchange during his stay at #Giants: Reporter: “Janoris, do you … Jenkins: “Jackrabbit. Reporter: “Excuse me? Jenkins: “That`s my name. Jackrabbit. » The official website of the #Titans: pic.twitter.com/6zqAtuz4Tl The official website 🐰 of the Titans lists him as Jackrabbit Jenkins and mentions his birth name in a biography. The graphics in the CBS lineup regularly used Jackrabbit instead of Janoris during the 2021 NFL season. Since his time with the Titans, however, he has carried his nickname “Jackrabbit”. When he joined the Tennessee Titans in March on a two-year, $15 million contract, cornerback Janoris Jenkins told the media he wanted to be called by his nickname, Jackrabbit — and he wasn`t kidding.
“I don`t like Janoris,” Jenkins told reporters, via Tennessean`s Ben Arthur. “That`s not my name.” The CB had previously described how annoyed him to be called Janoris by the media, as he doesn`t like the name. What are the origins of Janoris Jenkins` nickname and why does he prefer to be nicknamed “Jackrabbit”? Jenkins` nickname, or as he looks at it, his real name, was created during college, where it was given to him by his head coach. After becoming one of the nation`s top defensive backs at Pahokee High School in the mid-2000s, Jenkins signed a contract with the University of Florida prior to the 2008 season. According to Tennessean, the future Pro Bowler told reporters in 2021 that he earned his nickname shortly after signing up for Gainesville. He`s one of the most unusual names in the NFL, so why does Janoris Jenkins of the Tennessee Titans choose to be known by his nickname “Jackrabbit”? Where does it come from? As such, the name stuck, and Jenkins even preferred it over the years. As Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News explained, he often had to tell people to call him Jackrabbit when he was with the Giants. Throughout his career, Jenkins had carried his birth name Janoris. When asked why he didn`t respond to Janoris, Jenkins simply replied, “I don`t like Janoris.
That`s not my name,” says Ben Arthur of Tennessean, noting that Jenkins said this with a straight face. For the veteran cornerback, who signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Titans this offseason to be part of a defensive revival, the nickname comes from his time at the University of Florida — and is a nod to his roots in Pahokee, Florida. Things changed ahead of the 2021 season, and fans may even have noticed that broadcast graphics referred to the Tennessee Titans defensive back as a jackrabbit. The story behind the change and the nickname itself is fascinating, as are many things about the great state of Florida. Jenkins is not kidding. He comes from Pahokee, Florida — a place nicknamed “Muck City” that produced college football and the fastest players in the NFL — where young children grow up, hunting and catching rabbits to eat and sell to support their families. Ironically, Jenkins` nickname had nothing to do with Pahokee, but he adopted it anyway. Jenkins is the cousin of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Pernell McPhee. [76] He is nicknamed “Jackrabbit”. [77] In a conversation with Tennessean.com, Jenkins sheds light on the origins of his nickname – Jackrabbit.
Jenkins` nickname was originally born in Florida. Former Gators defensive backs coach Vance Bedford invented it when talking about Jenkins` speed of play. The Titans are the first NFL team to name him “Jackrabbit Jenkins” on their official website.