Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Kevin Glackmeyer
Jernigan Earns Sun Belt Award for Special Teams
10/18/2010 4:54:00 PM | Football
SUN BELT RELEASE
The Sun Belt Conference announced their weekly award winners on Monday morning, and it came as no surprise that a certain Trojan was among the recipients.
Troy senior Jerrel Jernigan took a punt back 75-yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter of the Trojans' 31-24 victory over UL Lafayette on Saturday. It was Jernigan's first career touchdown on a punt return, and the second time this year he has been named the league's Special Teams Player of the Week.
But, the big smile that Jernigan put on display on Monday for the weekly media gathering was the result of a totally different kind of question.
“I finally got the stitches out of my elbow,” Jernigan said. “I can finally move my arm again.”
Jernigan had minor surgery on his right elbow on October 2 and has been itching to get the stitches out ever since. They were finally removed following the game on Saturday and nothing, other than the win over the Cajuns, made him happier.
Of course, that punt return, and his fourth quarter touchdown reception, were huge keys to Troy's win over ULL.
His punt return was the first for the Trojans since the 2007 season when Leodis McKelvin, now of the Buffalo Bills, had the last of his seven career returns for scores. McKelvin was on the sideline to witness Jernigan's return because the Bills were off this past weekend.
“I had the punt return for a touchdown and I think their guy thought I was going to fair catch it,” Jernigan said. “I caught the ball and side-stepped him and the return team pretty much had everything sealed off for me.
“I never know if I am going to the house but I do know that if I can make that first guy miss I will have a pretty good chance because I have a good bunch out there blocking for me.”
Jernigan also had six receptions for 77 yards and scored the winning touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Corey Robinson in the fourth quarter. With the six receptions, Jernigan moved past Danny Grant (1966-69) for the school career record and, with 219 career catches, now stands just 10 behind Casey Fitzgerald of North Texas for the Sun Belt career mark.
Jernigan is also now just 100 yards behind Grant for the school record in receiving yards and is 269 yards behind Tyrell Fenroy of ULL for the league career record for all-purpose yards.
Still, the awards and the records are not what interests the Eufaula native most.
“It feels good to get player of the week again,” Jernigan said. “I pay attention to it because people always tell me, but I am not really interested it the records or awards. As long as we are winning, that is all I care about.”
The Trojans will enjoy a week off from competition this week before beginning a stretch of six consecutive games to close the season. Their next game is scheduled for Oct. 30 at ULM, a game that will be televised as the Sun Belt Game of the Week with a 2:30 p.m. kickoff time.
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