New Seahawks WR Gary Jennings reunites with his youth basketball coach Russell Wilson
Apr 27, 2019, 12:57 PM | Updated: 3:24 pm
(Getty)
New Seahawks wide receiver Gary Jennings will reunite with his former coach in Seattle.
See Gary Jennings’ prospect profile
Granted, that former coach was a teenager when he oversaw Jennings’ YMCA youth basketball team. Oh, and he’s also quarterback Russell Wilson.
The two Virginia natives will be on the same field this summer when Jennings, who was selected by the Seahawks 120th overall in Saturday’s draft, makes the move to the Pacific Northwest for Seahawks’ training camp. Both went to Collegiate School, a private high school in Richmond, where Wilson played football.
“Growing up in that school I used to see (Wilson) play quarterback – he was an amazing quarterback back in the day, too,” Jennings told reporters on a conference call shortly after being drafted.
Jennings estimates he was in the fourth grade or younger when Wilson was his coach.
“And I would see him run back and forth across the field until someone was wide open and launch it. They won state basically every year he was there. I played youth basketball with his sister as well, Anna Wilson.”
Was Russell Wilson a tough coach?
“It was YMCA, so I don’t now if it was that competitive,” Jennings said with a laugh. “We couldn’t even press, I don’t think. But it was cool because he was a star player at the school.”
This reaction is everything. ✨#SeahawksDraft pic.twitter.com/bX80s2s2ac
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 27, 2019
Jennings (6-1, 214) finished his four-year college career at West Virginia with 2,294 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He led all Mountaineers receivers in 2018 with 917 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2018.
Jennings told reporters he’s believes Seattle’s offense is a perfect fit for him.
“I have great hands, I have great speed,” Jennings said. “I’m a playmaker. When a play needs to be made at the end of the game or in crucial situations, I’m that guy to do it.”