Greg Jennings

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Jennings was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He attended Kalamazoo Central High School where he was all conference in three sports—football, basketball, and track. Jennings played wide receiver, running back, outside linebacker and defensive back as a four-time letterman for the football team. He was listed 11th on the 'Fab 50' rankings of the Detroit Free Press as a senior. Jennings finished seventh in voting for Mr. Basketball of Michigan in 2000–01 and scored a school record 50 points in a losing effort against Benton Harbor as a senior. In track & field, Jennings was one of the state's top performers in the long jump event. He captured the state title in the long jump at the 2001 MHSAA State LP-1 Championships, with a leap of 6.67 meters. He got a PR of 6.92 meters in the long jump. He was also a member of the 4 × 100m (42.20) and 4 × 200m (1:28.50) relay squads. Jennings attended Western Michigan University and played for the Broncos. He finished his career there with 238 receptions for 3,539 yards and 39 touchdowns. When Jennings was a redshirt freshman, he missed 8 games due to a broken ankle bone. In the 8 games he did play, he caught 10 passes for 138 yards. In 2003, he was second on the Broncos with 56 catches for 1,050 yards and 14 touchdowns. He finished the 2003 season with 1,734 all-purpose yards. He was named to the All-Mid American 2nd team. In 2004, he led the Broncos with 74 catches for 1,092 yards and 11 touchdowns. He tallied 1,415 all-purpose yards. He was named to the All-MAC team. In 2005, he led the nation with 98 receptions and in catches per game, with 8.91. He had 1,259 yards with 14 touchdowns, and earned the 2005 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Award. His 5,093 all-purpose yards is a WMU record, and ranks 8th in MAC history. Jennings became only the 11th player to gain over 1,000 yards in at least three seasons of a college career. Jennings graduated from WMU in 2010 after completing the 16 credits he needed through self-instructional classes. The Green Bay Packers drafted Jennings in the second round (52nd pick overall) of the 2006 NFL draft. On July 24, 2006, he signed a contract with the Packers. Jennings was named the starting wide receiver, along with Donald Driver, which put Robert Ferguson in the slot, for his first professional regular-season game Green Bay Packers by head coach Mike McCarthy on September 2, 2006. Jennings

In Their Own Story

The Lambeau air bit at exposed skin, thick with the white plumes of fifty thousand frozen breaths and the electric hum of a playoff crowd. Greg Jennings lined up against press coverage that sought to bury him at the line, but he slipped free with a release so subtle it looked like magic rather than mechanics. The ball spiraled deep down the sideline, cutting through the winter gray in a perfect arc. As the defender lunged, Jennings didn't just run; he manipulated his stride, leaping with surgical precision to snag the leather between his hands before tucking it tight against his chest as he crossed the goal line. The stadium erupted into a roar of pure adoration, yet for that split second, there was only the quiet, terrifying focus of a man who knew exactly where the defense would be before they did.

Reader's Guide

Jennings was named to two Pro Bowls during his seven seasons with the Packers. The source does not mention any First-Team All-Pro honors.

Did You Know?

• Jennings caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre on September 24, 2006, which was Favre's 400th career touchdown pass.
• Jennings caught the first ever touchdown pass by quarterback Aaron Rodgers on November 29, 2007.
• Jennings scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl XLV, helping the Packers defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25.
• Jennings led the nation with 98 receptions in 2005 and earned the MAC Offensive Player of the Year Award.
• Jennings was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 2022.