If things continue the way they are going, we could be a “Battle of the Wildcats” in the NFC Championship Game.
After 13 games, 2014 Clarksdale High School graduates Juantavius “JT” Gray and Elgton Jenkins are part of the top two teams in the NFC.
Gray is a safety and special teams standout in his third season with the 10-3 New Orleans Saints. Jenkins is a starting offensive guard in his second season with the 10-3 Green Bay Packers.
The Packers clinched the NFC North division with a 31-24 road win against the Detroit Lions Sunday. The Packers would have the No. 1 seed if the season ended today by virtue of the head-to-head competition tiebreaker.
Green Bay won 37-30 at New Orleans in Week 3.
The Saints would be the No. 2 seed if the season ended today and have already clinched a playoff spot. Their nine-game winning streak was snapped with a 24-21 road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday.
It is hard to say which team is better right now, but both are playing very well.
The Packers have scored at least 24 points in all of their wins.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has 3,685 passing yards to go with 39 touchdowns and four interceptions this season with three games still remaining.
Jenkins has allowed just one sack on the season. His blocking on the offensive line is a big part of Rodgers’ success.
The Saints are a very well-rounded team and continue to play well even while quarterback Drew Brees is sidelined with 11 fractured ribs and a punctured lung. They are playing in the NFC South, one of the toughest divisions in the NFL with quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Somehow, the Saints manage to remain at the top and Gray is a part of the success.
Jenkins and Gray were longtime teammates growing up in Clarksdale all the way to their days with the Wildcats. They were Mississippi State Bulldogs together.
They were not able to make themselves teammates in the NFL, but they are both successful and just might be on the same field for the NFC Championship Game.
I will personally remain neutral if the Packers and Saints are the last two teams standing in the NFC. Up until that point, I will be rooting for both teams to be in the game that determines the NFC Super Bowl representative.
Needless to say, if one of the two Wildcats are in the Super Bowl, the community should get behind that team. It does not matter if you are a Clarksdale Wildcat, Coahoma County Red Panther, Lee Academy Colt or Coahoma Early College Tiger. It does not matter if you are a Mississippi State Bulldog, Ole Miss Rebel or root for a team outside of the state.
We are all a part of Coahoma County and should support those who come from here.
I am not surprised by the success Jenkins and Gray have demonstrated.
It is quite common for athletes to play multiple positions and both sides of the ball in high school. It is far less common in college and the NFL, but Jenkins and Gray have done just that.
Gray was a linebacker at Mississippi State until he moved to the secondary his senior year. Jenkins has been all over the offensive line since leaving Clarksdale.
That unselfish and team first mindset translates to success.
While we cannot control how deep the Packers and Saints go in the playoffs, we can support our local talent.
I am encouraging all of our readers to vote for Jenkins and Gray to be in the NFL Pro Bowl. They deserve the honor because they are hard-working individuals and help their teams any way they can.
The Packers’ offense speaks for itself when it comes to Jenkins. Gray’s achievements may not always show up in one particular area, but his ability to play all over the field show he is a true football player and deserves to be in the Pro Bowl.
Please vote for Jenkins and Gray in the link below.
https://www.nfl.com/pro-bowl/ballot/?fbclid=IwAR09NMEbLeOedky4hwTO56HTY…
