{{Short description|American football player (born 1979)}} {{about|the American football player (born 1979)|his son|Kris Jenkins (American football, born 2001)|the basketball player|Kris Jenkins (basketball)}} {{Use American English|date=May 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Kris Jenkins | image = Kris Jenkins Jets.jpg | caption = Jenkins with the New York Jets in 2009 | number = 77 | position = Defensive tackle | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|8|3|mf=y}} | birth_place = Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lbs = 360 | high_school = Belleville {{nowrap|(Belleville, Michigan)}} | college = Maryland | draftyear = 2001 | draftround = 2 | draftpick = 44 | pastteams = * Carolina Panthers ({{NFL Year|2001}}–{{NFL Year|2007}}) * New York Jets ({{NFL Year|2008}}–{{NFL Year|2010}}) | highlights = * 2× First-team All-Pro (2002, 2003) * Second-team All-Pro (2008) * 4× Pro Bowl (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008) * Second-team All-ACC (2000) | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 279 | statlabel2 = Sacks | statvalue2 = 24.0 | statlabel3 = Forced fumbles | statvalue3 = 2 | statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries | statvalue4 = 2 | pfr = J/JenkKr00 }}
'''Kristopher Rudy-Charles Jenkins''' (born August 3, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. He was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. A two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection, Jenkins played seven seasons for the Panthers before being traded to the Jets in 2008.
==College career== Jenkins played college football at the University of Maryland, where he started 27 of 41 games. He made the second-team All-ACC during his senior season. He finished with 9.5 sacks and 154 tackles.
==Professional career==
===2001 NFL draft=== Jenkins was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft by Carolina.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2001 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2001/draft.htm |access-date=March 18, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>
{{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 4 7/8 | weight = 318 | dash = 5.13 | ten split = 1.81 | twenty split = 2.96 | shuttle = 4.40 | cone drill = 7.85 | vertical = 31 | broad ft = 9 | broad in = 0 | bench = 33 | wonderlic = | arm span = 34 | hand span = 9 1/2 | note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=924&DraftYear=2001 |title=2001 NFL Draft Scout Kris Jenkins College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=March 19, 2024}}</ref> }}
===Carolina Panthers (2001–2007)=== Jenkins finished the 2002 season with 60 tackles and 7 sacks, en route to an alternate appearance on the NFC's Pro Bowl team, where he replaced an injured Warren Sapp. The following season, he helped the Panthers on their way to Super Bowl XXXVIII. In one game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jenkins blocked two kicks: a field goal attempt by Martin Gramatica, and an extra point attempt that would have won the game. Jenkins' second block marked the first time that an extra point was blocked to send a game into overtime (Carolina later won the game). Jenkins was rewarded with his first Pro Bowl start, and joined teammate Mike Rucker as half of the NFC's defensive front line.
However, the 2004 NFL season saw Jenkins suffer a shoulder injury in the second game against Kansas City, and he spent the latter half of the season on injured reserve. His injuries continued during the first game of the 2005 NFL season when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and was once again placed on injured reserve.
===New York Jets (2008–2010)=== On February 29, 2008, the Carolina Panthers traded Jenkins to the New York Jets for third- and fifth-round draft picks in the 2008 NFL draft. The Panthers selected Charles Godfrey and Gary Barnidge with the traded picks.<ref name="ClaytonESPN">{{Citation |last=Clayton |first=John |date=February 29, 2008 |access-date=September 13, 2009 |title=Early signings by Dolphins, 49ers kick off frantic free-agency period |work=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3270118 }}</ref> For much of his first season with the Jets, Jenkins was dominant and garnered heavy consideration for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award. On Sunday October 18, 2009, Jenkins left the game against the Buffalo Bills with a left knee injury. The next day, it was reported that he had a torn ACL and would be out for the rest of the season.<ref name="GagneNYDailyNews">{{Citation |last=Gagne |first=Matt |date=October 19, 2009 |title=Jets' Kris Jenkins out for season after suffering torn ACL in his left knee |newspaper=New York Daily News |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2009/10/19/2009-10-19_jets_kris_jenkins_out_for_season.html }}</ref> During the home opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 13, 2010, Jenkins was injured as he twisted his leg making a tackle. A few days later, an MRI revealed that Jenkins had again torn his ACL and was out for the rest of the 2010 season.<ref name="CiminiESPNNewYork">{{Citation | last = Cimini | first = Rich | title = Jets' Kris Jenkins done for season | date = September 14, 2010 | url = https://www.espn.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5571834&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines | access-date = September 14, 2010 | work=ESPN.com}}</ref>
The Jets released Jenkins on February 28, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jets cut Damien Woody |url=https://www.espn.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=6168598 |publisher=ESPN |date=February 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302112725/http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=6168598 |archive-date=March 2, 2011 |access-date=February 28, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Retirement=== Jenkins announced his retirement from football on July 20, 2011.<ref>{{Citation|title=Kris Jenkins announces retirement after 10 seasons |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2011/07/kris-jenkins-announces-retirement-after-10-seasons |work=New York Daily News |publisher=Mortimer Zuckerman |author=Mehta, Manish |date=July 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103061014/http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/jets/2011/07/kris-jenkins-announces-retirement-after-10-seasons |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |access-date=July 20, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==NFL career statistics== ===Regular season=== {| class= "wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Team ! colspan="2"| Games ! colspan="5"| Tackles ! colspan="5"| Interceptions ! colspan="5"| Fumbles |- ! GP !! GS !! Cmb !! Solo !! Ast !! Sck !! Sfty !! Int !! Yds !! Lng !! TD !! PD !! FF !! FR !! Yds !! TD |- ! 2001 !! CAR | '''16'''|| 11|| 34 || 27 || 7 || 2.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 ||'''1'''|| 0 || 0 |- ! 2002 !! CAR |'''16'''||'''16'''|| 44 || 36 || 8 || '''7.0''' || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2003 !! CAR | '''16'''|| '''16''' || 46 || '''39''' || 7 || 5.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || '''4''' || '''1''' || '''1''' || 0 || 0 |- ! 2004 !! CAR | 4|| 4|| 11 || 8 || 3|| 1.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2005 !! CAR |1||1|| 2 || 0 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0|| 0 |- ! 2006 !! CAR |'''16'''||'''16'''|| 41 || 32 || 9 || 3.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2007 !! CAR |'''16'''||15|| 38 || 30 || 8 || 2.5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2008 !! NYJ |'''16'''||'''16'''|| '''52''' || 37 || '''15''' || 3.5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 || '''1''' || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2009 !! NYJ |6||6|| 13 || 11 || 2 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- ! 2010 !! NYJ |1||1|| 1 || 0 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0|| 0 || 0 |- ! colspan="2"| [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JenkKr00.htm Career] !! 108 !! 102 !! 282 !! 220 !! 62 !! 24.0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 11 !! 2 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 |}
==Personal life== Prior to the 2011 NFL season, Jenkins joined SNY as an analyst for New York Jets. His job included appearing on Jets programs such as pre-game and post-game shows and Jets Game Plan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/09/07/former-jets-nose-tackle-kris-jenkins-joins-sny-as-analyst/|title=Former Jets Nose Tackle Kris Jenkins Joins SNY As Analyst|date=September 7, 2011 }}</ref> He is the older brother of former defensive end, Cullen Jenkins, and the father of Kris Jenkins Jr., who was an All-American at the University of Michigan.<ref>{{cite web | last=McMann | first=Aaron | title=3-star DE Kris Jenkins, son of ex-NFL star, commits to Michigan | website=mlive | date=2019-07-03 | url=https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2019/07/3-star-de-kris-jenkins-son-of-ex-nfl-star-commits-to-michigan.html | access-date=2025-07-22}}</ref> Jenkins Jr. went on to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/roster/Kris-Jenkins/e09dfe2e-16f8-44ab-a2f8-97fec4152b4d New York Jets bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917163639/http://www.newyorkjets.com/team/roster/kris-jenkins/e09dfe2e-16f8-44ab-a2f8-97fec4152b4d |date=September 17, 2010 }} *[http://www.panthers.com/Team/PlayerBio.aspx?id=7568 Carolina Panthers bio]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=208127096 Maryland Terrapins bio]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
{{Panthers2001DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Kris}} Category:Players of American football from Ypsilanti, Michigan Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:American football defensive tackles Category:Maryland Terrapins football players Category:Carolina Panthers players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:New York Jets players Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Belleville High School (Michigan) alumni Category:21st-century American sportsmen