Michael Jenkins (running back)
Michael Jenkins is an American former professional football running back who played in the Canadian Football League.
Jenkins attended the University of Wyoming in 1997 and University of Arkansas from 1998 to 1999.
Amateur career
Jenkins was born in Bethesda, Maryland. He played at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. The head coach during that time was Danny Benjamin, who later became Jenkins' agent. Jenkins went on to play two seasons at Coffeyville Junior College.University of Wyoming
Michael Jenkins lettered at the University of Wyoming in 1997, rushing for 605 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns. He finished second on the team in rushing yards and was also second on the team in receiving yards, catching 25 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns.University of Arkansas
Jenkins transferred from Wyoming to the University of Arkansas, redshirting the 1998 season.Jenkins played in the 1999 season under Coach Houston Nutt. During his one season with the Razorbacks he finished third on the team in rushing with 224 yards and three touchdowns. Jenkins had a 42-yard touchdown run in the 2000 Cotton Bowl Classic, helping Arkansas defeat the Texas Longhorns, 27–6.
Professional career
Toronto Argonauts
In 2000, Jenkins joined the Toronto Argonauts as a free agent. In his rookie year, Jenkins played all 18 games and rushed for 1,050 rushing yards with two touchdowns and had 400 yards receiving. Upon the season's completion, he was voted the team's rookie of the year. With his small size and his large rushing numbers, comparisons between Jenkins and his head coach Pinball Clemons naturally emerged.During the 2001 season, Jenkins set an Argonauts team record for most rushing yards in a season with 1484 rushing yards on 271 carries and 8 touchdowns as well as 361 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. Earlier in the season, there was great concern by the fans over whether Jenkins' running abilities would have been stifled because of the "pass-happy" philosophy of offensive co-ordinator [John Jenkins (American gridiron football|football coach)|John Jenkins]. However, head coach Clemons put his coaching authority to use and called for a more balanced offensive attack combining the pass and running games to better utilize Michael Jenkins' game. The Football Reporters of Canada selected Jenkins as the winner of the 2001 John Candy Memorial Award, which is given to the Toronto Argonauts player of the year.
Jenkins left the Argonauts in 2002 to sign with the Houston Texans, where he spent the season as a member of the team's practice squad, and he returned to the Argonauts in 2003. However, he was not able to regain the form that he had when he first joined the team. After coming back from the NFL, Jenkins' weight increased. That, combined with an abductor/groin injury in the pre-season, and recurring ankle injuries factored into his decreased productivity. Despite those shortcomings throughout the season, Jenkins rushed for 195 yards in a game vs. the Edmonton Eskimos on August 17, 2003, and earned the CFL Offensive Player of the Week Award for the achievement. For the season, Jenkins rushed for 814 yards on 156 carries with 6 rushing touchdowns, along with 316 yards receiving. Shortly thereafter, he had surgery on his injured ankles, which had hampered him during the season.