Jauan Jennings is one of those players you can trust to execute when it's "do or die" and the game is on the line.
I liked one of the posts on a previous page that says he'll always be remembered but didn't realize what it meant
when it said even if only for 1 play. That's not the part I liked. As much as I will always believe that catch to be a miracle,
as will all the other Vols past and present whose lives were impacted by that play, I love him just as much for plays he
made that didn't get seen by the limelight but helped the team.
There were plays where he blocked defenders who outweighed him by fifty pounds and knocked them into next Wednesday. Then there were plays where he kept on keeping on and made much more out of something or something out of nothing before the sound of the whistle.
Yes, the flashy touchdown catches he makes are great material for highlight reels, but as most have said in this thread and many more know to be true, the young man has a mental and physical toughness and a supernatural level of determination (what he calls "Dog").
I mean this as a compliment, but I think during a tough time one Winter afternoon several years ago, Jauan had to sell his dictionary to the pawn shop. That's not an insult to his vocabulary as some would incorrectly assume. It's just Jauan Jennings could never afford to know the meaning of "quit." There's no give up, lose, or fail settings within his winner's mindset. He gets results. He sets his mind to something and it's done before you know it if it is something he really wanted to do.
As you can see, I have great admiration for him and gratefulness for the great resolve he shared with all of us who love watching him play and what his desire to do whatever he can to help his team win has meant to Tennessee. Selfishly, I want him to either stay or play for the Titans, but I will wish him the best at whichever of those two options he chooses.
If he stays, the Vols will tear it up and win more than last year, maybe even have a more special year than the prognosticators allow for in their predictions if he can get enough touches. Won't he have the Senior Bowl, Senior Day and extra promotion to go along with more career stats (hopefully more than any season before)?
There's never been a play that he couldn't make. He outran the fastest and most elite DBs burning their coverage for touchdowns, passed for touchdowns, blocked above his weight and never backed down from anyone who tried to take advantage of him or a Tennessee team member. He even made that game-saving onside kick recovery because quite frankly, when a game is on the line, there is no one else but Jauan Jennings you want to be responsible for making the play if he is available. Those of us who have seen him make the difference know what I mean by that. He can get those difficult down and long situations without breaking a sweat. It's just another day at the office.
I know he'll ball out in the league whether he leaves or if he can enter the draft with a final season under his career belt. I pray that Mr. Jennings has favor on his life no matter what the situation is next season. I count myself blessed to have had the opportunity to see him perform to the best of his God-given talents and abilities every down I saw him play because when he had the opportunities, he made something special out of them. Jauan will be alright whatever he chooses. He's a born winner and a natural leader of great men. It's me I'm concerned about. I had looked forward to seeing him play in one uniform and now it may be another. Either way, I'll still find a way to watch him play and wish nothing but the very best. Go Vols! and Go or Stay Jauan!
Finally, here is a little something I wrote a couple of years ago in tribute to Mr. Jauan Jennings and I will post it here again.
It's another touchdown! See enemies roasted.
Hands raised for Tennessee like referees toasted.
He called himself "The Dog" yet ruled at football more like a blessed king
when against those Dawgs in '16, he rose to score for Vols over everything!
He won against the Tabors, all those haters, and all saw Jauan wrecked Gators.
If Jennings plays, opponents can only look... like the rest of the spectators!
It's another touchdown! See enemies roasted.
Hands raised for Tennessee like referees toasted.