Of all the players who needed to be at Eli Manning’s informal and lightly attended passing camp last month, rookie Jerrel Jernigan seemingly should have topped the list. After all, the receiver from Troy, a third-round draft pick, has to get acclimated into the NFL and the Giants’ detailed passing system. With the lockout in place, there’s scant opportunity for a first-year guy to learn the ropes.
Jernigan never made it to Hoboken High School, but Manning said it was OK he was absent.
“I was going to go but I didn’t,” Jernigan told The Post yesterday from Alabama. “Actually I had some exams to take on campus so I couldn’t get there. [Manning] congratulated me on getting drafted, and he talked to me [about] how important school is because he said it was important to him, and he wasn’t going to look down on me because I couldn’t attend the workouts he was going to have.”
Two weeks of low-key running and passing went on without Jernigan.
“That is my number one goal, to get that degree,” he said. “I’m going to get that regardless, because if football isn’t here, I got that to fall back on.”
Football is not yet here for Jernigan. A small (5-foot-8, 181 pounds), extremely fast and productive receiver, Jernigan was the only Division-I player last season to score a touchdown receiving, rushing, passing and on punt and kickoff returns.
Versatility is one of his main attractions, and the Giants have every intention of putting Jernigan directly into the mix in the return game and perhaps also as a slot receiver.
“I’m an explosive guy. I like the ball in my hands,” said Jernigan, who set Troy career records for receptions (262) and yards (3,128). “Yeah, I’m a pretty confident guy. I think I’ll be a confident rookie.”
He also will be an ill-prepared rookie in terms of standard operating procedure. Because of the lockout, the Giants’ rookie mini-camp and offseason workout program have been canceled. Jernigan would have attended both. He would have been at the mandatory full-team mini-camp the week of June 12-18, but that’s scrapped as well.
He’s working out five days a week at Troy and has no idea what the Giants have in store for him.
“It’s frustrating knowing whenever it gets settled all the rookies are going to be behind and will have to learn quickly,” Jernigan said. “I’m a smart enough guy that I can get it done. Regardless, I’m still excited. This was my No. 1 dream since I started playing football. It’s kind of disappointing I haven’t started yet and haven’t got my first practice in yet, but when it’s all said and done I’ll be ready to go.”
Jernigan had his phone conversation with Manning, met Steve Smith at the Rookie Premier in Los Angeles and has developed a budding friendship with Lawrence Tynes, a former kicker for Troy who met Jernigan a few months ago when Tynes came to speak at the school. But that’s it.
In September, Jernigan is expecting his first child, a son. Before then, he has a July 22 graduation date and he’s expecting to attend the ceremony and walk up to receive his diploma in person for a degree in criminal justice.
“It’s important because I’ll be the first one to graduate from college in my family,” Jernigan said. “All of ’em want me to walk, but if I can’t they understand why. I have plans to walk, but I may have to cancel if the lockout is over by then. The way it’s looking like I’ll probably be there.”