TheBradyBunch
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http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/sports//index.php?ntid=97933
Packers: Jennings remains modestly confident
JASON WILDE 608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY - Coach Mike McCarthy's never seen anything like it. Jimmy Robinson's as surprised as anyone. And Al Harris, never one to praise a wide receiver, even one of his own teammates, can't say enough about the kid.
Yes, people are talking about Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings, and every word of it is positively glowing.
Which is why Jennings, a super-confident but ultra-humble second-round draft pick from Western Michigan, is doing his best not to let it get to him as he prepares to start Sunday's regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field - making him the first Packers rookie receiver to start the opener since Sterling Sharpe in 1988.
"Don't get me wrong. It's great to hear. But at the same time, some things you need to hear-but-not-hear," Jennings said Thursday, leaning against a laundry bin in the Packers' locker room after meetings. "I really don't get caught up in all the accolades, all the publicity. It's great, but to me, it's always better to be under the radar."
That's going to be hard after what Jennings did this preseason, as he caught 12 passes for an NFL-leading 328 yards (a 27.3-yard average). After the preseason finale against Tennessee last Friday afternoon, McCarthy named him the starter opposite No. 1 receiver Donald Driver, giving him the nod over sixth-year veteran Robert Ferguson.
"I've clearly never seen a rookie that productive that fast," McCarthy said.
And while Jennings was the fourth receiver taken in April's draft - after Ohio State's Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh, 25th overall), Florida's Chad Jackson (New England, 36th) and Miami (Fla.)'s Sinorice Moss (New York Giants, 44th) - he's the only rookie receiver in the NFL expected to start this weekend.
So sorry, Greg, the under-the-radar thing ain't happening. Not now.
"And I understand that. But at the same time, I have to carry myself as though I'm still under the radar," Jennings replied. "Because once you start worrying about being noticed, you start playing with that thought in your mind. And you start thinking about how you have to play a certain way to keep getting the praise you feel you should be getting. You have to be humble and stay grounded."
He's succeeding at that, but don't take that to mean Jennings lacks self-confidence. While outsiders didn't expect him to emerge so quickly, he's not at all surprised.
"I can't say I've been surprised by anything I've done. I expect what I'm doing out here. I expect more than what I'm doing out here," said Jennings, who had an 89-yard catch against the Titans, an 85-yard touchdown against Atlanta Aug. 19 and a 47-yard catch against San Diego Aug. 12. "It's just my nature, I guess. I expect to make an impact. I'm not going to have a ridiculous, great game every Sunday, but I plan on having a lot of 'em."
Harris, the Packers' top cornerback, is expecting that.
"I think Jennings will emerge as a No. 1 receiver if not this year, next year," Harris said after practice. "The dude is real smooth. Real smooth. Sometimes I have a hard time getting my hands on him. Seriously, that's saying something."•
Rookie rarity Still, history suggests it won't be easy for the 5-foot-11, 198-pound Jennings to have a major impact as a rookie. Only five of the 546 wide receivers drafted from 1990 through 2005 have had 1,000-yard seasons as rookies: Joey Galloway (1995), Terry Glenn (1996), Randy Moss (1998), Anquan Boldin (2003) and Michael Clayton (2004).
But if anyone can do it, Robinson said, it's Jennings, whose football IQ is so high he's learned all three receiver positions - X (flanker), Z (split end) and zebra (slot receiver) - already.
"His maturity, his poise - it doesn't seem like anything really fazes him," said Robinson, a 17-year NFL coaching veteran who tutored Indianapolis' six-time Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison as a rookie in 1996, when Harrison started 15 games and had 836 yards and eight TDs.
"I think he's certainly capable of (1,000 yards). In my mind, he seems to be capable of doing just about anything given the opportunity. He's a unique guy."
Indeed, Jennings, who turns 23 in two weeks, is more mature than your average rookie. But, as he puts it, "I'm a different little human being."
He and his wife, Nicole, have been married since June 2005, although she went back to Kalamazoo Tuesday to finish her nursing degree at Western Michigan, where she has one 10-credit class to go. Jennings' parents, Greg Sr. and Gwen, are active in the church, with Greg Sr. working as a pastor at Deliverance Ministries in Kalamazoo, while Gwen is a church missionary.
Meanwhile, the folks at Jennings' high school, Kalamazoo Central, have been bugging him for some pictures and memorabilia to put in a display case at the school. They've already produced several famous sporting alumni - New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter most notably - but Jennings has yet to send them anything of his.
And even when he does, perhaps after he catches 1,000 yards worth of passes and scores 10 touchdowns this season, he vows he'll be the same guy he is today.
"Even though I may think I'm doing well now, I haven't even played a regular-season game. So nothing I've done to this point means anything. I mean nothing," Jennings said. "Because come Sunday, if I have a horrible game, everyone's going to ask, 'Well, you had a great preseason, you had a great training camp, what happened?'"
"I can't be arrogant, I can't be cocky and conceited, I can't put up a facade. I guarantee you I won't change. It's not in me to be anything different."
Packers: Jennings remains modestly confident
JASON WILDE 608-252-6176
jwilde@madison.com
GREEN BAY - Coach Mike McCarthy's never seen anything like it. Jimmy Robinson's as surprised as anyone. And Al Harris, never one to praise a wide receiver, even one of his own teammates, can't say enough about the kid.
Yes, people are talking about Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings, and every word of it is positively glowing.
Which is why Jennings, a super-confident but ultra-humble second-round draft pick from Western Michigan, is doing his best not to let it get to him as he prepares to start Sunday's regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field - making him the first Packers rookie receiver to start the opener since Sterling Sharpe in 1988.
"Don't get me wrong. It's great to hear. But at the same time, some things you need to hear-but-not-hear," Jennings said Thursday, leaning against a laundry bin in the Packers' locker room after meetings. "I really don't get caught up in all the accolades, all the publicity. It's great, but to me, it's always better to be under the radar."
That's going to be hard after what Jennings did this preseason, as he caught 12 passes for an NFL-leading 328 yards (a 27.3-yard average). After the preseason finale against Tennessee last Friday afternoon, McCarthy named him the starter opposite No. 1 receiver Donald Driver, giving him the nod over sixth-year veteran Robert Ferguson.
"I've clearly never seen a rookie that productive that fast," McCarthy said.
And while Jennings was the fourth receiver taken in April's draft - after Ohio State's Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh, 25th overall), Florida's Chad Jackson (New England, 36th) and Miami (Fla.)'s Sinorice Moss (New York Giants, 44th) - he's the only rookie receiver in the NFL expected to start this weekend.
So sorry, Greg, the under-the-radar thing ain't happening. Not now.
"And I understand that. But at the same time, I have to carry myself as though I'm still under the radar," Jennings replied. "Because once you start worrying about being noticed, you start playing with that thought in your mind. And you start thinking about how you have to play a certain way to keep getting the praise you feel you should be getting. You have to be humble and stay grounded."
He's succeeding at that, but don't take that to mean Jennings lacks self-confidence. While outsiders didn't expect him to emerge so quickly, he's not at all surprised.
"I can't say I've been surprised by anything I've done. I expect what I'm doing out here. I expect more than what I'm doing out here," said Jennings, who had an 89-yard catch against the Titans, an 85-yard touchdown against Atlanta Aug. 19 and a 47-yard catch against San Diego Aug. 12. "It's just my nature, I guess. I expect to make an impact. I'm not going to have a ridiculous, great game every Sunday, but I plan on having a lot of 'em."
Harris, the Packers' top cornerback, is expecting that.
"I think Jennings will emerge as a No. 1 receiver if not this year, next year," Harris said after practice. "The dude is real smooth. Real smooth. Sometimes I have a hard time getting my hands on him. Seriously, that's saying something."•
Rookie rarity Still, history suggests it won't be easy for the 5-foot-11, 198-pound Jennings to have a major impact as a rookie. Only five of the 546 wide receivers drafted from 1990 through 2005 have had 1,000-yard seasons as rookies: Joey Galloway (1995), Terry Glenn (1996), Randy Moss (1998), Anquan Boldin (2003) and Michael Clayton (2004).
But if anyone can do it, Robinson said, it's Jennings, whose football IQ is so high he's learned all three receiver positions - X (flanker), Z (split end) and zebra (slot receiver) - already.
"His maturity, his poise - it doesn't seem like anything really fazes him," said Robinson, a 17-year NFL coaching veteran who tutored Indianapolis' six-time Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison as a rookie in 1996, when Harrison started 15 games and had 836 yards and eight TDs.
"I think he's certainly capable of (1,000 yards). In my mind, he seems to be capable of doing just about anything given the opportunity. He's a unique guy."
Indeed, Jennings, who turns 23 in two weeks, is more mature than your average rookie. But, as he puts it, "I'm a different little human being."
He and his wife, Nicole, have been married since June 2005, although she went back to Kalamazoo Tuesday to finish her nursing degree at Western Michigan, where she has one 10-credit class to go. Jennings' parents, Greg Sr. and Gwen, are active in the church, with Greg Sr. working as a pastor at Deliverance Ministries in Kalamazoo, while Gwen is a church missionary.
Meanwhile, the folks at Jennings' high school, Kalamazoo Central, have been bugging him for some pictures and memorabilia to put in a display case at the school. They've already produced several famous sporting alumni - New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter most notably - but Jennings has yet to send them anything of his.
And even when he does, perhaps after he catches 1,000 yards worth of passes and scores 10 touchdowns this season, he vows he'll be the same guy he is today.
"Even though I may think I'm doing well now, I haven't even played a regular-season game. So nothing I've done to this point means anything. I mean nothing," Jennings said. "Because come Sunday, if I have a horrible game, everyone's going to ask, 'Well, you had a great preseason, you had a great training camp, what happened?'"
"I can't be arrogant, I can't be cocky and conceited, I can't put up a facade. I guarantee you I won't change. It's not in me to be anything different."
