Gary Jennings Jr. (born March 7, 1997) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
wide receiver for the
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their h ...
of the
United Football League (UFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
.
Early life
Gary attended
Colonial Forge High School
Colonial Forge High School is a public high school in Stafford, Virginia serving students in grades nine through twelve in the central portion of Stafford County, Virginia.
Location and demographics
Colonial Forge is located on Courthouse Road, ...
in
Stafford, Virginia
Stafford is a census-designated place (listed as Stafford Courthouse) in and the county seat of Stafford County in the northern part of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. The population of Stafford County as of the 2010 United States Census w ...
. He played
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
,
wide receiver and
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
in high school. He committed to
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
to play
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
.
College career
Jennings played at West Virginia from 2015 to 2018. During his career, he played in 50 games with 22 starts and had 168 receptions for 2,294 yards and 17
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...
.
Professional career
Seattle Seahawks
Jennings was drafted by the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in the fourth round (120th overall) of the
2019 NFL Draft
The 2019 NFL Draft was the 84th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2019 NFL season. The draft was held on April 25–27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The first round was held on April 2 ...
. He was waived on November 5, 2019, without appearing in a game.
Miami Dolphins
On November 6, 2019, Jennings was claimed off waivers by the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. He was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on November 20, 2019.
On September 5, 2020, Jennings was waived by the Dolphins.
Baltimore Ravens
Jennings was signed to the
practice squad
In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...
of the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
on December 16, 2020, and released on December 22.
Buffalo Bills
On December 30, 2020, Jennings was signed to the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
' practice squad. He was released on January 4, 2021.
Indianapolis Colts
Jennings signed a reserve/future contract with the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
on January 6, 2021. He was waived/injured on August 8, 2021, and placed on injured reserve. On August 12, 2021, Jennings was waived from injured reserve with an injury settlement.
Las Vegas Raiders
On November 11, 2021, Jennings was signed to the
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...
practice squad, but was released four days later.
Kansas City Chiefs
On January 11, 2022, Jennings signed a reserve/future contract with the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
. He was waived on May 5, 2022, but re-signed five days later. He was waived on August 15, 2022. He was reverted to the Chiefs' injured reserve list a day later. He was released on August 24.
St. Louis BattleHawks
Jennings was drafted by the
St. Louis BattleHawks
The St. Louis BattleHawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL owned by Dwayne Johnson’s Alpha A ...
of the
XFL
XFL may refer to:
Sports
* XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001
* XFL (2020), a professional American football league
Vehicles
* Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...
in the 8th round of the Open Phase of the
2023 XFL Draft
The 2023 XFL Draft, is the player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams of the 2020 reboot of the XFL, and the second draft in that league's history following the 2020 draft. The draft was held on November 15–17, 2022, with ...
. Jennings finished the 2023 season with 11 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. He was released from his contract on May 15, 2023.
Carolina Panthers
On May 16, 2023, Jennings signed with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. He was released on August 26, 2023.
Birmingham Stallions
On December 6, 2023, Jennings signed with the
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their h ...
of the
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
(USFL).
References
External links
West Virginia Mountaineers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jennings, Gary
1997 births
Living people
People from Stafford, Virginia
Players of American football from Virginia
Sportspeople from the Washington metropolitan area
American football wide receivers
West Virginia Mountaineers football players
Seattle Seahawks players
Miami Dolphins players
Baltimore Ravens players
Buffalo Bills players
Indianapolis Colts players
Las Vegas Raiders players
Kansas City Chiefs players
St. Louis Battlehawks players
Carolina Panthers players
Birmingham Stallions (2022) players