Today, CFC shines the spotlight on Class 2012 star defensive halfback and recent University of Alberta commit, Brandon Jennings. Brandon began his football career in grade nine.

Brandon Jennings

Positions:
Defensive Halfback

Height/Weight:
6’3, 180 lbs

Teams:
Paul Kane Blues (high school)
St. Albert Skyhawks (high school)
Team Alberta

Commitment:
Commitment to University of Alberta

Class:
2012

When Brandon started his career in grade nine with the St. Albert Skyhawks, he had limited football experience. With the assistance and guidance of Sam Johnson and Garrett Doll, Brandon was able to compete while improving his skills at an elite level.

This past year, the Skyhawks merged with the Paul Kane Blues football program. Since he spent the duration of his high school life at Paul Kane, Brandon wanted to be part of the inaugural season of this new formation.

“Coach Day was one of the best people I could have asked for to be involved with during my senior year,” adds Brandon. “Having the experience with every level of football imaginable, he guided me into my scholarship opportunities.”

Recently, the Blues defensive halfback was selected to play in the Senior Bowl. Additionally, Brandon got to experience the highlight of his career when he represented Team Alberta at the Football Canada Cup in Lethbridge.

“My most memorable football experience was being a part of that under-18 team that lost to Quebec in the finals,” explains Brandon. “The previous year, Alberta didn’t win a game, and we were expected to be the same.”

“Beating Saskatchewan, Ontario West, and coming so close to a national championship was something that I will never forget, because the feeling of something you worked so hard to achieve slipping through your fingers is not an easy one to grasp.”

After the conclusion of the Football Canada Cup tournament, an unfortunate turn of events happened involving the Blues defensive halfback. He was involved in a serious life threatening accident in which he was trapped under a vehicle which flipped over. Brandon was freed from it as his friends pulled the car off him.

“It was like I had to start all over,” recalls Brandon of the horrifice xperience. “My mom is the sole reason I was able to play football again, helping me with anything and everything I needed in order to become healthy as quickly as possible.”

“Losing the better part of my ear, breaking ribs, puncturing and collapsing my lung, the nerve damage, that was tough, but it is just another card in life that I was dealt and I did my best to move on as quickly and smoothly as possible as I owe more thanks than I can give to my family and friends who helped me through it.”

With the upcoming season set to start five weeks after the accident, people started to wonder if the defensive standout would be able to play football again and if so, how he would fare. He would defy the odds and prove in the process that he never lost his football edge in spite of the accident.

“Coach (Jeff) Stead loves to talk about a single play that showed him I was ready for CIS,” says Brandon. “Playing both ways as most do in high school, I was running a route as a receiver when I saw a linebacker closing in on my scrambling quarterback.”

“I came in a knocked the linebacker out, and looked up to see Coach Stead standing there smiling and as a result, I received a great number of calls from Stead in the following weeks.”

Speaking of Stead, he first met the Blues defensive halfback at the Football Canada Cup while scouting players for recruitment. At the tournament, Stead spoke to Brandon about the prospect of playing for the University of Alberta Golden Bears football program. While he “fell in love” with the program, he wasn’t exactly sold on the 0-8 regular season record the Golden Bears had the previous season.

However, the defensive halfback’s thoughts changed when he attended recruiting day at the campus. As a result, he recently decided to commit to the school.

“Coach Stead spoke with almost every player that came in and addressed them by name,” reflects the future Golden Bears player. “He approached me and my dad and knew my background, and many things you wouldn’t expect from a coach recruiting so many players to know.”

“After meeting with defensive back coach Frantz Clarkson, and the strength and conditioning coach Sean Reader, I knew it was right for me. I have all the faith in the world in Coach Stead to turn this team around and win a championship, and I am grateful to hopefully be a part of it.”

With the roller coaster Brandon has experienced, he’s truly grateful for the support and encouragement his family has given him throughout his entire football career.

“I am lucky enough to be born into a family of athletes, and they are my biggest influences; my father is my role model both as a person and an athlete, and maintaining myself as someone who I know he is proud of is the most important thing in my life,” says the Blues standout. “To look up in the stands at nearly every game I’ve played in all the sports I have participated in and seeing my mom and dad watching, that’s huge.”

“There is a lot to be said about having a solid support system in your life, and to me, there could be no better than what I had growing up.”

Overall, the game has given Brandon an education that is more far reaching than any classroom lecture. He feels fortunate to have the chance to play football.

“Football is a sport that many players make their life,” comments Brandon. “It is not hard to see the aspects that make a great football player relate closely to those that make a great person.”

“Respect, integrity, playing through adversity, all common aspects of the game relate to everyday life so closely because as a person you are going to go through a great deal of events in your life, maintaining yourself through it all is the challenge.”

Video of Brandon’s Football Highlights:

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