John Jerry (born June 14, 1986) is a former
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 wi ...
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison ...
. He played
college football at the
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi ( byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment ...
and was drafted 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 p ...
in the third round of the
2010 NFL Draft. He has also played for the
New York Giants.
High school career
Jerry attended
South Panola High School
The South Panola School District is a public school district based in Batesville, Mississippi, US.
In addition to Batesville, the district also serves the village of Pope, the town of Courtland, and the Panola County portion of Crowder as w ...
in
Batesville, Mississippi
Batesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,463 at the 2010 census.
Batesville is one of two county seats which the legislature established for Panola County, related to a longstanding rivalry between ...
, where he was a two-way lineman and his career totals included 205 tackles, with 13
quarterback sacks. As a senior, he made 88 tackles, including five quarterback sacks, and returned one pass interception for a touchdown. He helped lead South Panola High School and coach Ricky Woods to a 44-1 record, including state championships in 2003 and 2004, while being runners-up in 2002.
Considered a three-star recruit by ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
'', Jerry was listed as the No. 27 offensive tackle prospect in the nation.
College career
After a prep school year at
Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private, all-male, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a col ...
, Jerry started all 12 contests at right guard for the Ole Miss Rebels in 2006. He was honored by several postseason publications as one of the top freshman linemen in the country, including ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' and ''Rivals.com''. In 2007, he played in all 12 games and started nine at the right guard position.
Jerry was moved to right tackle and started all 13 games at the position in 2008, and earned second-team All-SEC honors from the SEC Coaches and Phil Steele.
In 2009, Jerry was listed at No. 5 on ''
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
′s'' preseason offensive tackle power ranking. He was also named to the 2009
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
watch list.
Professional career
Jerry was considered one of the better offensive linemen available in the
2010 NFL Draft.
He drew comparisons to
Leonard Davis. On draft day, he was selected 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 p ...
in the third round with the 73rd overall pick.
Miami Dolphins
In February 2014, the NFL released the "Wells Report" finding that Jerry, along with Dolphins teammates
Richie Incognito
Richard Dominik Incognito Jr. (born July 5, 1983) is a former American football guard. He played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played ...
and
Mike Pouncey
James Michael Pouncey (born July 24, 1989) is a former American football center who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, was a member of a BCS National Championship ...
, had bullied and harassed lineman
Jonathan Martin, another unnamed player, and an assistant trainer during the 2012-13 seasons. The harassment of the assistant trainer, in which Jerry took part, included racial insults.
New York Giants
On March 21, 2014, Jerry was signed by the
New York Giants. On March 13, 2015, Jerry re-signed with the Giants.
On March 13, 2017, Jerry signed a three-year, $10 million contract extension with the Giants. He started all 16 games for the Giants at right guard in 2017.
On September 2, 2018, Jerry was released by the Giants.
Cincinnati Bengals
On June 10, 2019, Jerry signed with the
Cincinnati Bengals. He was released during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019, but was re-signed two days later.
Personal life
John Jerry is the younger brother of
Peria Jerry
Peria Edward Jerry (; born August 23, 1984) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Mississippi. Jerry reti ...
, a former defensive tackle for the
Atlanta Falcons. His cousins Eddie Strong and
Dwayne Rudd
Dwayne Rudd (born February 3, 1976) is a retired American football linebacker who played in the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft. During his career he played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Clevela ...
also played in the NFL.
References
External links
Ole Miss Rebels bioMiami Dolphins bioNew York Giants bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jerry, John
1986 births
Living people
People from Batesville, Mississippi
Players of American football from Mississippi
American football offensive tackles
American football offensive guards
Ole Miss Rebels football players
Miami Dolphins players
New York Giants players
Cincinnati Bengals players
Hargrave Military Academy alumni