Bring on the Tigers

• By DREW CHAMPLIN
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Nov 14, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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TROY, Ala. — Games against LSU are the type that Jerrel Jernigan lives for.

Jernigan, Troy’s sophomore wide receiver sensation, knows what it feels like to be the little guy going into a big situation.

But so far, the Trojans wideout has proven to be a giant among his competition — Sun Belt Conference and beyond.

Jernigan is near the top of most SBC categories in receiving (54 catches, 666 yards, 5 touchdowns), though he’s missed eight full quarters with a knee injury.

Some of his best games have come against the best competition. Last year at Georgia, he caught 11 passes for 102 yards and two scores.

This year at Ohio State, he scored Troy’s only touchdown in a 28-10 loss when he broke four tackles against the nation’s No. 7-rated defense and scored from 45 yards out.

Auburn told him he was too small. He heard through the grapevine that linebackers coach James Willis, who recruited Jernigan at nearby Eufaula, wanted him, but receivers coach Greg Knox thought his now 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame wouldn’t hold up.

“He didn’t directly tell me, but the word got out that it’s why they didn’t offer me,” Jernigan said. “It motivated me to come in and put up numbers and do the best I could do.

“I’ve got something to prove when I go play these SEC schools. I’ve got to prove that they know they missed out on me.”

Playing at Florida and Georgia was nice, but Tiger Stadium, where he’ll suit up and play Saturday, takes the cake.

However, he almost missed out on that chance and still isn’t 100 percent recovered from knee surgery Oct. 27 to repair a torn meniscus.

Jernigan was having a big first half in Troy’s 45-17 victory at North Texas, but on his ninth catch and 123rd yard in just the first half, he came down on his knee wrong.

He missed the second half of that game and all of Troy’s 31-30 loss to Louisiana-Monroe the next week. He didn’t play in the first half of last week’s 17-7 win over Western Kentucky, but even at 75 percent, looked like the best player on the field in the second half, when he caught six passes for 88 yards.