Your thoughts and prayers are asked for ladies and gentlemen as this Bulldog legend underwent quadruple bypass surgery yesterday after going in for a catheterization procedure. Scott, a friend of the family, says he did well. But I'm sure those around him would appreciate any and all support.
I mean, you can't get much harder nosed than a fullback in the old school SEC. And Jenkins did work. Hard work against the toughest his era had to offer. And he helped Coach Dooley get his first SEC title.
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They don't make em like that any more. Like Scott says, a high school coach from down in South Georgia once said, "It looked like a tornado had come through my football stadium when Ronnie Jenkins came to town."The battering ram fullback on Vince Dooley's first championship team, remembered as much for his toothless smile as his overpowering rushes, emerged from the woods of South Georgia to do his part as the centerpiece of the Bulldogs' full-house backfield, won a Southeastern Conference title and then returned to the lifestyle from which he sprang.Down home in spirit and in fact, Jenkins is the homespun hero from Glennville whose father, E. K., taught him that any man worth his salt was a man who earned his keep by the sweat of his brow, and that any man worth his salt paid his bills and took care of his family.
Here's another throw back snippet for you:
He wanted to excel because he wanted to contribute, do his job and help the team.
Nothing hurt him more than when he fumbled on the goal line against Auburn his sophomore year in 1965.
Every back fumbles. Those who do must have short memories and gain redemption on another day. Jenkins took his work seriously, and that fumble bothered him.
After the ignominious sophomore faux pas, you would see Jenkins walking around the football facilities in the coliseum, cradling a football. The coaches didn't have to motivate him. He took matters into his own hands.Yes. Real men take matters into their own hands. They own up for their own mistakes. They yearn to never let the team down again.
Ronnie Jenkins ain't done fighting. Lift him up today. Remember him. And under your breath or at the top of your lungs, say "That's a Damn Good Dawg gettin' after that ass!" Just like in the 1967 Cotton Bowl:
When Lawrence's explosive swiftness wasn't plaguing an SMU defense that actually played better than the score might indicate, Jenkins was. The powerful junior fullback showed little effect of the pulled hamstring muscle which was supposed to hamper his effectiveness. What he did show was some of the best sheer muscle seen in recent Cotton Bowl memory. He punished the Mustang middle with 87 yards net of 21 carries. That included a 4-yard attack against the right side of the SMU line that left blockers and defenders alike piled in his path to the final touchdown which put Georgia out of reach in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Jenkins or Lawrence carried on every play of the 59-yard drive for the final Bulldog touchdown.Get well Mr. Jenkins. The DawgNation is behind you.
