Jauan Jennings makes Super Bowl history with touchdown catch
Out of all the heroes people expected in Super Bowl 2024, former Tennessee great Jauan Jennings has come out of nowhere and stunned everyone on the big stage. The San Francisco 49ers secret weapon has delivered in the most pressurized moments of Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing a touchdown pass and catching a touchdown pass.
In doing so, he became the only other player in Super Bowl history to accomplish that feat besides former Philadelphia legend Nick Foles, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Jennings has had a game to remember, even if the 49ers came up short in overtime, losing a heartbreaker, 25-22. Sunday night’s game went into overtime tied at 19-19 at the end of regulation. Since 2021, Jennings has hauled in 78 catches for 963 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s spent all three seasons with the 49ers.
His best season came in 2022, when he hauled in 35 catches for 416 yards and one touchdown.
Back in the 2020 NFL Draft, the 49ers made Jennings the No. 217 overall selection. His time at Tennessee was enough to peak their interest, when Jennings accumulated 2,153 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns on 146 receptions. He earned second team All-SEC honors in 2019 after he hauled in 59 catches for 969 yards and eight touchdowns.
He wrapped up his career there as one of the most dominant receivers in Tennessee football history. Jennings played in 50 career games and 30 starts. He also tossed two touchdown passes in college. Fighting through contact and breaking tackles has always been his strong suit (like the catch above). In 2019, he led all wide receivers in the country with 30 broken tackles, according to PFF College.
Without a doubt, one of his biggest moments as a Volunteer came when he caught a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown from Joshua Dobbs to beat the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens in 2016. He didn’t have a bad season that year, either, hauling in 40 catches for 580 yards and seven touchdowns.
As a high school prospect coming out of Blackman High School (Murfeesboro, Tennessee), he was highly touted. Jennings was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 151 overall recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2015 cycle. He actually played quarterback in high school, but didn’t convert to wide receiver until college.
On3’s Steve Samra also contributed to this article.