Ernie Jennings
| No. 22 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 30, 1949 Atchison, Kansas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Kansas City Central (Kansas City, Missouri) |
| College | Air Force |
| NFL draft | 1971: 10th round, 257th overall pick |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Ernie Jennings (born January 30, 1949) is an American former college football player who was a wide receiver for the Air Force Falcons. He was named a consensus All-American in 1970.
Early life
[edit]Ernie Jennings was born on January 30, 1949, in Atchison, Kansas. He attended Kansas City Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri.
College career
[edit]Jennings played college football for the Air Force Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy. He originally joined the team as a defensive back but switched to receiver.[1] He was a consensus All-American in 1970 and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting after catching 74 passes for 1,289 yards.[2] He also led NCAA Division I football in receiving touchdowns in 1970 with 17.[3] He is Air Force's all-time leader in receptions with 148, 2nd in receiving yards with 2,392 and leads the team in receiving touchdowns with 28.[4] Jennings was on the 2014 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame but was not chosen.[5][6]
Professional career
[edit]Jennings was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the tenth round of the 1971 NFL draft.[7] He spent time in the military after college and was released by the San Francisco 49ers in August 1975.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Jennings then began a career at NASA in 1976.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ Moss, Irv (December 25, 2007). "Jennings caught on quickly for Falcons". denverpost.com. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
- ^ "Ernie Jennings". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "Former Air Force wideout Ernie Jennings joins elite list of College Football Hall of Fame nominees". militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "Ernie Jennings on College Football Hall of Fame ballot". goairforcefalcons.com. March 6, 2014. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ Volk, Pete (May 22, 2014). "2014 College Football Hall of Fame class includes Derrick Thomas, Sterling Sharpe". sbnation.com. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "1971 NFL Draft". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "Ernie Jennings Cut". The Times from San Mateo, California. August 13, 1975. p. 19. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ "Jennings caught on quickly for Falcons". December 24, 2007.
- Living people
- 1949 births
- Players of American football from Kansas
- American football wide receivers
- Air Force Falcons football players
- All-American college football players
- People from Atchison, Kansas
- 21st-century African-American sportsmen
- 20th-century African-American sportsmen
- 20th-century American sportsmen
- San Francisco 49ers players
- 21st-century American sportsmen