February 29, 2012
ESKS.com
Rose Mary Phillip
Football is filled with rags-to-riches stories. This is not one of them.
This is a story about Rashad Jeanty, a guy who loves ranch-flavored sunflower seeds, cherishes family and is a beast on the field.
Yes, there were challenges: When he was four, his dad died after someone put a drug in his drink, a childhood friend died of Lupus, several others were murdered – one at the hands of a drunk driver – and two cousins are serving life sentences. Hardly a fairy tale life, but you’d never know it to talk to him. This guy is beaming with joy.
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| In 2010, Jeanty quietly donated $10,000 to his father’s homeland of Haiti when the 7.0-magnitude earthquake killed over 300,000 people in less than a minute. Jeanty’s father and older brother are pictured above. |
Signed as a free agent in February, Jeanty is amped to wear green and gold again and help bring home a ring. He already has two Grey Cup wins (2003 and 2005) and holds a team record for the most sacks in one game (three).
It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since he left the Edmonton Eskimos to be a standout linebacker with Cincinnati Bengals; A journey that ended with a metal rod implanted his in leg. More on that later.
If you follow @rashadjeanty on Twitter, one thing is clear: He loves food. His favorite is ranch-flavored sunflower seeds. Double Stuf Oreo cookies are a close second. “I love Boston Pizza too and I’m a big seafood guy.” Lately, he craves donairs. If you know a good restaurant, tweet him. He’ll probably tweet back. He’s nice like that.
You might not expect a six-foot-three, 245-pounder to be warm and welcoming, but he is and he appreciates the same from Canadians. “The people north of the border are totally different. So laid back, caregiving and fun. Just genuine people. That’s what I missed the most and what I say every time I talk about Canada,” he says.
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| Jeanty, pictured here at 5-years-old, grew up in Miami, Florida. |
Jeanty went to Carol City High School in Miami, Florida, where he was rated the 14th-best player in the country (Seriously, the whole country) and the sixth-best player in the state. His talent landed him a scholarship to the University of Central Florida – a typical story for an all-star athlete. But, there’s a twist.
After two years, 9.5 sacks and 137 tackles, he flunked out of school.
“Everyone was tooting my horn and I got complacent. I knew I would be going to the NFL so I didn’t go open-minded and wanting to learn,” says Jeanty. “Don’t too many people get scholarships. For me, it was wasted. I think about that from time-to-time and wish I took a better approach.”
To be fair, he had a lot on his mind, including losing his family home.
“It was a Wednesday and spring break was that coming Friday. Everyone was excited to go home. Then, I found out we were moving out and don’t have nowhere to go,” he says. “I let it grab me by the horns.”
He returned to find his sister, two nieces, two brothers and mom living in a one bedroom unit at a motel ripe with drugs and prostitution.
They lived there for two weeks before “fluking out” and finding a house to rent. Luckily, the owners didn’t require a damage deposit or much money upfront. Three months later, the FBI knocked on the door and told them to leave. “The people who owned the house didn’t really own it. It was an illegal rental,” says Jeanty.
The challenge gave him focus. When the opportunity to play in Edmonton came along, he was going to do everything he could to make the roster.
He did.
It wasn’t long before the Bengals took notice.
In 2006, Jeanty was the only undrafted rookie in an NFL starting line-up on kickoff weekend. He went on to play 53 games for the Bengals with 32 starts. In 2009, he led the team with 14 special teams tackles.
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| Jeanty played linebacker for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals from 2006–2009. |
Then, it happened.
He cracked his tibia (the large bone between the knee and ankle) during the opening kickoff at the AFC wild card game. Always a titan, he walked off the field. That’s why there is a metal rod in his leg now.
Jeanty is good with pain. Once, he broke his finger so badly that the bone was sticking out. According to then teammate Brandon Johnson, Jeanty didn’t even flinch. He actually wanted to take a picture of it. Eww.
He learned to play with pain because he refuses to let his teammates down. That dedication earned him the Bengals’ 2008 Ed Block Courage Award. “I call it an injury award,” laughs Jeanty. “It actually demonstrates commitment to excellence. It’s special to me because my teammates, coaches and medical staff voted for me to have it. A team is like a family bond. I’ll do whatever I have to do to back on the field and help them.”
And now he is back to help the Esks. But, something is different time around.
He left rocking dreadlocks he grew for years. “I was going back and forth on whether to cut them off,” says Jeanty. In moment of spontaneity, he called his high school friend and barber, Big Trav. If he answered, Jeanty would change his look. “The phone rang four times. When he picked up I screamed ‘Noooooooo,” says Jeanty. Buh-bye dreads.
The clean-cut look makes him more approachable anyway.
He’s a beast on the field and a gentle, caring person everywhere else. “I treat everyone with open arms and try to be positive person,” he says. “It brings me joy to see other people happy and smiling.”