Published: June 03, 2008 11:30 pm      

Jennings gets his NFL call

In Chris Jennings’ words, “it all came clear” after a phone call he received on his way to the airport on Monday.

That’s when Jennings, a former University of Arizona and Fairview High School running back, got a call from his agent telling him that he was going to try out for the Cleveland Browns.

Jennings knew then he was going to get a chance at his dream of playing in the NFL.

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t know what to think,” Jennings said. “I prayed for a sign and I asked God to show his presence. I was like, man, thank you God.”

A life-changing moment? Jennings thinks so.

After finishing his senior season at Arizona, Jennings had hopes of getting his shot at the NFL. However, the draft went by last month without his named being called. And no free agent contracts came up either, despite interest from several teams.

In fact, Jennings was ready to go the next logical route — the Canadian Football League. He was packed and heading to a Tucson airport to catch a plane that would eventually land him in Montreal, where a CFL opportunity awaited him, when the call from his agent came.

“I was just two lights from the airport and I got the call from my agent,” Jennings said. “He said I have a tryout with the Browns on Thursday ... I just wanted the opportunity. That’s all I wanted.”

It seems Jennings will get that opportunity after a senior year that didn’t exactly go his way at Arizona this past season.

With new coach Mike Stoops and offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes bringing a more open, pass-oriented offense to the Wildcats, Jennings’ role decreased considerably from his junior season.

In 2006, Jennings burst onto the scene with nearly 500 yards, included a 200-yard game against Stephen F. Austin, to finish as the team’s second-leading rusher. This past season, Jennings saw limited action, carrying just 53 times for 160 yards.

Still, Jennings, who worked his way to a scholarship at Arizona after two JUCO years at Arizona Western College, remained positive through the tough experience.

“I was more successful in the offense last year (2006), but those types of things happen in college football,” Jennings said. “Sometimes new schemes are put into place. I was shocked, but I just kept going 110 percent every day.”

Jennings, at 5-foot-10 with some extra muscle weight (up to about 225 pounds) since wrapping up the college season, says he feels great now — and he looked it at a recent professional combine in Los Angeles. He easily scored better than the 8.5 needed to advance to an Elite NFL combine next week.

But for now Jennings’ focus is on giving the Browns everything he’s got.

Cleveland was the first NFL team to show interest before the draft and has stayed in Jennings’ mind since.

“That’s the team,” Jennings said. “It’s meant to be. Even after the draft, (when I wasn’t taken), I was saying that.”

Maybe it was, and is, meant to be.

If Jennings would have taken his flight out of Tucson and ended up in a contract in the CFL, it would have ended his bid to make the NFL, for now anyway.

A phone call changed the plan, however, and maybe Jennings’ football destiny.

“With this opportunity and chance, there’s no way in the world you should take that lightly,” Jennings said. “You have to go 1,000 percent. You have to go above and beyond.”

Jennings rushed for more than 2,000 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior at Fairview, making first team All-State. He played his first two years of high school in Huntington.

“I’m motivated, very positive and fueled,” he said. “I’m going to do my best and let God do the rest.”

ADAM VANKIRK can be reached at avankirk@dailyindependent.com.