Shaneil Jenkins (born February 7, 1994) is a

gridiron football Gridiron football ( ),"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica'' ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

who is a free agent. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Shepherd University Shepherd University is a public university in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In the fall of 2023, the university enrolled 3,274 ...

. He signed with the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

following the

2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...

Early years

Jenkins attended Suitland High School. He accepted a football scholarship from

, where he became a starter as a junior, registering 29 tackles (10.5 for loss), 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 passes defensed. In his senior season of 2015, during which the Rams advanced to the NCAA Division II championship game, Jenkins was named the

Mountain East Conference The Mountain East Conference (MEC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level and officially began competition on September 1, 2013. It consists of 11 schools, m ...

Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Jenkins earned first-team All-Region honors from CCA and Don Hansen's Football Gazette, as well as third-team Don Hansen's Football Gazette All-America honors and honorable mention D2Football.com All-America accolades. Jenkins was a 2015 finalist for Cliff Harris Award, given annually to the top defensive player in Division II, Division III and NAIA college football. He finished his college career with 48 games, 100 tackles and 27 sacks.

Professional career

Denver Broncos

Jenkins was signed as an

by the

after the

. He was released on August 2.

Dallas Cowboys

On August 7, 2016, Jenkins was signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

by the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...

to provide depth because of injuries on the

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

. He was moved from

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...

, where he could use his power and be more effective. Even though he had a short time with the team, he was able to provide quality snaps and register 2 sacks in the first two preseason games. He had a chance to earn a roster spot before a suffering a knee injury. On August 30, he was waived/injured and placed on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in t ...

after clearing waivers. On September 2, he was waived with an injury settlement.

Seattle Seahawks

On December 6, 2016, Jenkins was signed to the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

' practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Seahawks on January 16, 2017. He was waived on August 12, 2017.

Green Bay Packers

On August 13, 2017, Jenkins was claimed off waivers by the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

, only to be waived two days later.

New York Jets

On July 28, 2018, Jenkins signed with the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

. He was waived/injured on August 3, 2018 and was placed on injured reserve. He was released on August 15, 2018.

Ottawa Redblacks

On March 27, 2019, Jenkins signed with the

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (Canadian French, French: ) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

. He re-signed with the Redblacks on January 19, 2021. He was placed on the suspended list on May 20, 2021.

References

External links

Shepherd Rams bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Shaneil Living people 1994 births People from District Heights, Maryland Players of American football from Maryland American football defensive ends Shepherd Rams football players Denver Broncos players Dallas Cowboys players Seattle Seahawks players Green Bay Packers players New York Jets players Ottawa Redblacks players