Why Janoris Jenkins insists on being called 'Jackrabbit'

I'm assuming you're just kidding here. But if you're not, here's the story behind the nickname:


Janoris Jenkins prefers that you don't call him by his first or last name. Instead, he wants to be known as the "Jackrabbit."

“That’s my name,’’ Jenkins said to Giants reporters Tuesday. “I wouldn’t feel right not letting my teammates call me Janoris and she (Tafoya) calls me Janoris. I just take Jackrabbit as my name.’’

All of Jenkins' teammates refer to him as Jackrabbit and you won't hear the name Janoris said anywhere in the Giants locker room anymore. There's only one person left who still calls him by his given name.

“Probably still my mom, she’s about the only one,’’ he said. “She’s special, so I can’t blame her for that. She can call me Janoris. She’s the only one.’’

Jenkins said he originally got the nickname during his time at the University of Florida. A coach there noticed how Jenkins never stopped running around and didn't really ever know where he was going when he first got there, per the New York Post. Jenkins grew up near West Palm beach Florida and used to chase rabbits as a child, so he felt like the nickname fit him perfectly.

“It describes me as a person, from where I come from, my background, just as a football player, being quick on the field,’’ Jenkins said.


[247sports.com]

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