Jack Jenkins (American football)

Jacque Sumpter Jenkins (May 6, 1921 – April 30, 1982) was an American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Vanderbilt University where he was an All-SEC blocking back,^[1] and was drafted in the first round (tenth overall) of the 1943 NFL draft.

Jack Jenkins

No. 38
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1921-05-06)May 6, 1921 Texarkana, Texas, U.S.
Died:	April 30, 1982(1982-04-30) (aged 60) Florence, Alabama, U.S.
Career information
High school:	Texarkana (TX) Texas
College:	Vanderbilt
NFL draft:	1943 / round: 1 / pick: 10
Career history
Washington Redskins (1943, 1946–1947)
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-American (1941) SEC Player of the Year (1941) 2× Jacobs Blocking Trophy (1941, 1942) 2× First-team All-SEC (1941, 1942)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 274 Average: 3.3 Touchdowns: 1

While at Vanderbilt he set a school record for the most points scored in a season at 90, and a career with 147, records that stood for decades. His 1941 team had the best winning record of a Vanderbilt team 8–2, since 1928. That year he was a Collier's Magazine All-American and the Coach's poll SEC MVP. The next year he was first team All-SEC and finished his college career in the 1943 Blue-Gray game.^[2]

He played in the NFL in 1943, but then had his career interrupted by two years of service during World War II, before returning to the NFL for two more seasons.^[3]

After his pro career was over he coached at Vanderbilt for some time before becoming a sales agent for Mizell Brothers, Co.

References

1. "Six Schools Win Places on Annual Mythical Eleven". The Evening Independent. December 1, 1941.
2. "VU Grid Hero Jenkins Dead; Star of 1940's". The Tennessean. May 1, 1982. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
3. "Ranking Vanderbilt's Top 1st Round NFL Draft Picks Through History". Retrieved February 29, 2024.