Greg Jennings facts for kids
Jennings with the Green Bay Packers in 2011
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| No. 85, 15 | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | September 21, 1983 Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 197 lb (89 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Central (Kalamazoo) | ||||||
| College: | Western Michigan (2002–2005) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
Gregory "Greg" Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers.
Greg played college football for the Western Michigan Broncos. The Green Bay Packers chose him in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. During his seven years with the Packers, Jennings was picked for two Pro Bowls. He also helped the team win a Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLV. Later in his career, he played for the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins. In 2022, he was honored by being inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
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Growing Up and Sports
Greg Jennings was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He went to Kalamazoo Central High School. There, he was a top athlete in three sports: football, basketball, and track.
In football, Jennings was a four-time "letterman." This means he earned a special award for playing well for four years. He played wide receiver, running back, outside linebacker, and defensive back. As a senior, he was ranked 11th among top players by the Detroit Free Press. In basketball, he scored a school record 50 points in one game.
Jennings was also a great track and field athlete. He won the state championship in the long jump in 2001. He could jump over 6.67 meters (about 22 feet). He also ran in relay races, showing his speed.
College Football Journey
Jennings went to Western Michigan University and played for the Broncos. He had an amazing college career. He caught 238 passes for 3,539 yards and scored 39 touchdowns.
In his first year, he was a "redshirt freshman." This means he practiced with the team but didn't play in games to save a year of eligibility. He missed 8 games due to a broken ankle. But in the 8 games he did play, he caught 10 passes.
In 2003, he caught 56 passes for 1,050 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Mid American 2nd team. In 2004, he led the Broncos with 74 catches for 1,092 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was again named to the All-MAC team.
His best college year was 2005. He caught 98 passes, leading the nation in catches per game. He gained 1,259 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. He won the 2005 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Award. Greg Jennings set a school record for all-purpose yards. He was one of only 11 players to gain over 1,000 yards in three college seasons. He finished his college degree in 2010.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄8 in (1.81 m) |
197 lb (89 kg) |
31 in (0.79 m) |
9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
4.46 s | 1.56 s | 2.62 s | 4.16 s | 6.68 s | 36+1⁄2 in (0.93 m) |
9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) |
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| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Green Bay Packers Years
The Green Bay Packers picked Greg Jennings in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft. He signed his contract on July 24, 2006. He quickly became a starting wide receiver for the Packers. He even led the NFL in receiving yards during the 2006 preseason.
On September 24, 2006, he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre. This was a special moment because it was Favre's 400th career touchdown pass. Only a few players in NFL history have reached this milestone. This game was also Jennings's first time gaining over 100 yards in a single game. He was named NFL Rookie of the Week for his great performance.
In 2007, Jennings continued to make big plays. On September 23, he caught a game-winning 57-yard touchdown pass from Favre. This helped the Packers beat the San Diego Chargers. A week later, he caught a 16-yard pass that broke Favre's record for all-time touchdown passes. Later that season, he caught an 82-yard touchdown pass in overtime to win a game against the Denver Broncos. He also caught the first-ever touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
In the 2008 season, Jennings had 80 catches for 1,292 yards and 9 touchdowns. In 2009, he signed a new contract with the Packers. He caught another game-winning pass against the Chicago Bears in the season opener. In a playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, he had 8 catches for 130 yards and scored a touchdown.
The 2010–2011 season was a huge success for Jennings and the Packers. They went 10–6 in the regular season. In Super Bowl XLV, on February 6, 2011, Jennings caught four passes for 64 yards. He scored two touchdowns in the Packers' 31–25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This helped the Packers win the Super Bowl!
In 2011, Jennings played well before getting a knee injury. He returned for a playoff game against the New York Giants. In 2012, he missed some early games due to a groin injury.
Time with the Minnesota Vikings
On March 15, 2013, Jennings signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings. He scored his first two touchdowns for the Vikings against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned to play at Lambeau Field, his old home stadium, on November 24, 2013. He was released by the Vikings in 2015.
Miami Dolphins Season
On April 22, 2015, Jennings signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. He played one season with them before being released in March 2016.
Retirement and Hall of Fame
On July 25, 2016, Greg Jennings announced his retirement from professional football. He played for 10 seasons and was 32 years old when he retired.
For all his great achievements with the Green Bay Packers, he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2022.
NFL Career Statistics
- Regular season
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2006 | GB | 14 | 11 | 45 | 632 | 14.0 | 75 | 3 |
| 2007 | GB | 13 | 13 | 53 | 920 | 17.4 | 82 | 12 |
| 2008 | GB | 16 | 15 | 80 | 1,292 | 16.2 | 63 | 9 |
| 2009 | GB | 16 | 13 | 68 | 1,113 | 16.4 | 83 | 4 |
| 2010 | GB | 16 | 16 | 76 | 1,265 | 16.6 | 86 | 12 |
| 2011 | GB | 13 | 13 | 67 | 949 | 14.2 | 79 | 9 |
| 2012 | GB | 8 | 5 | 36 | 366 | 10.2 | 45 | 4 |
| 2013 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 68 | 804 | 11.8 | 70 | 4 |
| 2014 | MIN | 16 | 13 | 59 | 742 | 12.6 | 38 | 6 |
| 2015 | MIA | 16 | 5 | 19 | 208 | 10.9 | 31 | 1 |
| Career | 143 | 119 | 571 | 8,291 | 14.5 | 86 | 64 | |
- Playoffs
| Year | Date | Team | Opp. | Result | Receiving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Pts | |||||
| 2007 | 2008-01-12 | GB | SEA | W 42–20 | 6 | 71 | 11.83 | 2 | 12 |
| 2007 | 2008-01-20 | GB | NYG | L 20–23 | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 2010-01-10 | GB | ARI | L 45–51 | 8 | 130 | 16.25 | 1 | 6 |
| 2010 | 2011-01-09 | GB | PHI | W 21–16 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2011-01-15 | GB | ATL | W 48–21 | 8 | 101 | 12.63 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2011-01-23 | GB | CHI | W 21–14 | 8 | 130 | 16.25 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2011-02-06 | GB | PIT | W 31–25 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 2 | 12 |
| 2011 | 2012-01-15 | GB | NYG | L 20–37 | 4 | 40 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2013-01-05 | GB | MIN | W 24–10 | 4 | 61 | 15.25 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 2013-01-12 | GB | SF | L 31–45 | 6 | 54 | 9.0 | 1 | 6 |
| Total - 10 Games | 50 | 673 | 13.46 | 6 | 36 | ||||
Source:Pro-Football-Reference.com
Life Outside Football
Greg Jennings is a Christian. He is married to Nicole Jennings, and they have three daughters: Amya, Alea, and Ayva. They also have a son named Aice Gregory.
Jennings has appeared on several TV shows. He was on Criminal Minds as a lab technician. He also appeared as himself on Royal Pains and The League.
He started the Greg Jennings Foundation to help children and youth groups. The foundation raises money through events and donations. It gives grants to groups in Michigan and Wisconsin. The main office of the foundation is in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
After retiring, Jennings became a part-time sports analyst. He talks about sports on TV shows like FS1's First Things First and Breakfast Ball.
The Famous "Madden" Clip
Greg Jennings is also famous for a funny viral video from the video game Madden NFL 10. In the video, a player named Demetry James scores a 99-yard touchdown with Jennings, even though the game says Jennings has a broken leg!
The Madden video game series later added a special reference to this video. In Madden NFL 12, if you score a 99-yard touchdown with Jennings, you get an achievement called "Put Da Team On My Back." This name comes from a funny phrase Demetry James said in his original video.
See also
In Spanish: Greg Jennings para niños
- List of NCAA major college football yearly receiving leaders
