Kelly Jennings: Hawks comeback cornerback

Renton – Kelly Jennings always thought he would one day find his way back into a starting cornerback spot with the Seattle Seahawks.

Of course, he didn’t want it this way.

Thanks to an early injury to Marcus Trufant and now Josh Wilson, Jennings will return to a starting cornerback spot this Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Qwest Field.

Trufant has yet to suit up this season, while Wilson suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s loss to San Francisco, meaning Jennings will slide from the nickel back in passing situations to the starter on every down on defense.

“It’s not the way I wanted to get an opportunity, but I’m glad to be back starting,” Jennings said.

It isn’t as if he hasn’t had opportunities to start in the past.

When the Seahawks selected him in the first round of the 2006 draft, the idea behind it was that Jennings would start opposite Trufant for years to come.

But it didn’t quite work out that way.

Jennings played the nickel back most of his rookie season, starting two games while showing some promise.

In 2007, he started 15 of 16 games and showed hints of solid play. But his lack of experience and physical strength still showed through. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, he just couldn’t match up size- and strength-wise.

Last season, it was much the same. Jennings was bullied, beaten and beaten up by bigger NFL receivers such as Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. He eventually lost his starting job to 2007 second-round pick Josh Wilson, who is two inches shorter, but plays with a more physical nature.

“Some things happened and I didn’t play up to the potential I’m capable of playing,” Jennings said.

Those things included minor dings, a concussion and nagging shoulder pain, none of which he would use as an excuse.

“I don’t want to use anything as an excuse,” he said. “You’re in this business to make plays. You are paid to make plays and you have to make them.”

Coach Jim Mora likes to refer to certain moments in the game as “moment of truth” plays and Jennings’ moments led to an ugly truth – he wasn’t cutting it at cornerback.

“I wasn’t making those plays,” Jennings admitted. “I won’t use anything as an excuse. If I’m out there I have to make those plays and I wasn’t doing it.”

To make a forgettable season worse, Jennings, in an attempt to make one of those plays, suffered a nasty shoulder injury in the final game of the 2008 season. It would require offseason surgery to repair a torn ligament.

During offseason workouts and fall camp, he was slowed by the recovery. It robbed him of strength, particularly on plays on the ball with receivers.

He wasn’t able to practice enough to put up much of a competition for a starting job with Wilson or free agent signee Ken Lucas.

Slowly he has worked himself back into shape. He’ll never be viewed as a physical, high-contact cornerback. His strength is speed, not size. But in his practice repetitions and game snaps as the nickel back, he’s shown improved coverage and ball skills.

“We talked about this earlier in the season that I thought one of the things that helped Kelly mature as a football player was the fact that his role was a little bit more limited to pass situations,” Mora said.

More than maturity, there’s a confidence to Jennings now. He doesn’t hope he can make plays against bigger receivers, he knows he can do it.

With a return to starting, he will have to make things happen on running plays as well, something where his size is a detirment.

“Kelly’s done a nice job, and now he’s going to have to step it up even a little bit more because he’s going to be out there every down,” Mora said. “That role is going to expand a little bit, so his level of maturity has to expand with it, and I believe it will. I absolutely believe it will.”

Jennings has changed his preparation because of it.

“I have to be ready for the whole game in general,” he said. “I’m not just out there on third downs. I’m going from 25 to 30 plays to 65 to 70. It’s different. But it’s a position I’ve played before. I’m comfortable. I’m ready.”



(thenewstribune.com)