BYU Football Staffer Gifts Lost Jersey Back To Cougar Great
Sep 25, 2024, 10:21 PM
Former BYU football running back Ronney Jenkins. (Harry How/Getty Images)
(Harry How/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – Last week, during the memorable BYU football victory over nationally ranked Kansas State, the 1996 BYU team that finished 14-1 was honored.
The recognition was in conjunction with BYU’s 100th-season celebration. It was the perfect game to recognize the 1996 squad, as they were the last team to face K-State until a week ago.
The 1996 #BYU football team lead the way at the Cougar Walk. #BYUFootball #Big12 @kslsports pic.twitter.com/vT8hvEX0RL
— Matthew Baiamonte (@baiamontematt) September 22, 2024
One of the players from that 1996 team who made his way back to Provo was former star running back Ronney Jenkins.
The Port Hueneme, California native was a true freshman at BYU in 1996. He rushed for 733 yards on 128 carries.
During Jenkins’ return to Provo, he was gifted the last jersey he wore as a BYU Cougar in the 1998 season.
BYU football great Ronney Jenkins gets his game-worn jersey back
Jack Damuni, who oversees alumni relations for the BYU football program, gave Jenkins the jersey in the west side hospitality tent before the K-State game, and as Damuni put it, Jenkins’s reaction was “priceless.”
“Last spring @byuequipment asked me if I could send some old jerseys back to our alumni players,” wrote Damuni on X. “One of the jerseys belonged to @BYUfootball great rb Ronnie Jenkins. Last week when the ’96 football team came back to Lavell we met up and his reaction was priceless.”
Last spring @byuequipment
asked me if I could send some old jerseys back to our alumni players. One of the jerseys belonged to @BYUfootball great rb Ronnie Jenkins. Last week when the 96 football team came back to Lavell we met up and his reaction was priceless
GO COUGS!!!🤟🏾 pic.twitter.com/bLsNuPtoSs— #IamJackDamuni 🇫🇯 (@JackDamuni) September 25, 2024
Jenkins was a teammate in the backfield with current BYU head coach Kalani Sitake during the 1998 season.
During his two seasons on the field at BYU, Jenkins rushed for 2,040 yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s among 12 players in BYU history to rush for 2,000 yards in a career.
After the 1998 season, Jenkins transferred to Northern Arizona. The star running back went on to have a four-year career in the NFL.
Jenkins ranked at No. 61 in KSL Sports’ ranking of the 100 greatest BYU football players of all-time list.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
