MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Jauan Jennings stood on the field where he dominated high school competition eight years ago, drenched in sweat.
The 49ers’ receiver had just conducted a free youth football camp at Blackman High, his alma mater. The group of about 100 local children and teenagers who’d participated had all witnessed Jennings in his high-effort element. The wideout sprinted through demonstrations and drills, energetically barking instructions and encouragement for nearly three hours.
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Jennings had post-camp awards to give out, and he refused to determine recipients on the basis of talent.
“It don’t mean who has the best feet, who has the best hands, who’s the fastest — that’s not what this means, guys,” Jennings said. “It’s who’s going to work the hardest? Who does this mean more to? And that’s why I play this game — because it means more to me.”
The unbridled energy of 49ers WR Jauan Jennings carries over to a youth football camp in his hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jennings is a legend out here.
More soon… pic.twitter.com/eSHcmTCqx5
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) July 16, 2023
The 49ers selected Jennings in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The 4.72 40-yard dash time that Jennings had posted at the NFL Scouting Combine, the second-slowest time of wide receivers at the event, had clearly depressed his draft stock. Many outsiders doubted Jennings’ ability to carve out a role with the 49ers due to this perceived lack of speed.
But after spending 2020 on the practice squad, Jennings emerged as the 49ers’ clear-cut No. 3 receiver in 2021. He’s caught 59 passes for 698 yards and six touchdowns over the past two seasons, totals that include numerous massively important receptions at clutch moments. Jennings hauled in two game-tying touchdowns in the 49ers’ must-win effort in Week 18 of the 2021 season against the Rams. And according to Pro Football Focus, he’s also converted 31 third downs for the 49ers since cracking the lineup.
A lack of speed from the receiver certainly hasn’t been an issue for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who insinuated in 2022 that Jennings was the team’s best separator.
“If anyone watched our games at the end of last year, not many people covered him,” Shanahan said. “He got open, he had aggressive hands, he got up the field, he blocked well. … What’s cool about Jauan, he’s got some unique running styles. But just watch him: he separates more than probably all the other guys.”
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That’s high praise considering the 49ers’ roster features burgeoning star Brandon Aiyuk, and it’s certainly validation of the technical progress that Jennings has made since he entered the league.
The path to that improvement was the primary theme of Jennings’ message in his return to Blackman High.
“I believe in hard work, because there’s a lot of fast people in this world, there’s a lot of strong people, but there’s not a lot of people who are willing to put in the amount of hard work that it takes to get to the next level,” Jennings said. “I want to instill that right now.”
Jennings played quarterback for Blackman, earning heavy interest from multiple SEC programs as he delivered prolific production through the air and on the ground. Jennings eventually chose to sign with Tennessee, where he developed a penchant for big catches — none more memorable than a Hail Mary touchdown reception that pushed the Volunteers past Georgia in 2016.
Jennings’ leaping ability, a key component of his success on the hardwood (he led Blackman to a state championship in basketball), featured prominently on that famous catch.
The reception made Jennings a legend in Tennessee football circles. Many with the program advocated fiercely for Jennings when the 49ers, concerned with a 2017 outburst on social media that led to the receiver’s temporary dismissal from the team, conducted a deep background check on him prior to the 2020 draft.
Local support for Jennings remains strong now as he enters his fourth season in the NFL. Dozens in attendance at Sunday’s camp, held two time zones and over 2,000 miles away from the Bay Area, wore 49ers gear with the wideout’s name on the back. Jennings’ college roommate, former offensive lineman Jack Jones, also addressed the gathering.
“I’ve had the pleasure of competing against Jauan out here (in high school) and block for him at Tennessee,” Jones said. “One of the biggest competitors I’ve ever been around, this guy right here. When he steps out on that field and puts those shoulder pads on, he ain’t scared of nobody. With the 49ers, he’s taken advantage of every opportunity that he’s been given.”
Jauan Jennings leads a “49ers on three” break in Tennessee at his youth football camp pic.twitter.com/ROf49ycAYw
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) July 17, 2023
The next chance for Jennings formally begins at 49ers’ training camp next week. He flies from Nashville to the Bay Area on Sunday and is eager to deliver in a contract year. Jennings is scheduled to be a restricted free agent next offseason, meaning that he’s well-positioned to earn a substantial raise over his current $940,000 salary.
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That also means that the 49ers, who face an eminently crowded salary-cap situation in 2024, might need to be creative in their efforts to retain Jennings when the time to do so arrives.
But that’s an issue that’ll be adjudicated later. For now, Jennings is focused on production.
“First and foremost, I want to score a lot of touchdowns,” he said. “I want to get into that paint. I want to experience a lot more touchdown celebrations and with that comes winning games as well and eventually topping it off with a Super Bowl ring.”
And on Sunday, as he enthusiastically scurried around the same field where he was once a high school star, Jennings was focused on passing the lessons he’s learned down to next generation.
“You’re not going to get anywhere if it doesn’t mean something to you,” Jennings said. “And that starts with school. That’s where you guys are at now. So make sure you guys get good grades. And when adults talk to you, listen. They aren’t telling you something just to tell you. They’ve been through it. They were your age. They were my age. It’s all about respect.”
(Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
The Football 100, the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Pre-order it here.
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