Randon Jernigan isn’t sleeping through his senior season. The Glynn Academy quarterback developed a plan to stay a step ahead on his opponents.
“I believe that if you’re doing something while the opponent is sleeping, you get sort of an edge on him mentally and physically,” Jernigan said. “I don’t sleep a lot, so I pride myself on working out at midnight.”
It must be working. Before his senior year started, he had 20 scholarship offers to play football from colleges like Cincinnati, Troy, Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Florida Atlantic, and Colorado State.
Jernigan is being recruited by college football teams as an “athlete,” which is code for “He’s fast and can play anywhere on the field.” Despite the best efforts of college scouts, however, baseball, not football, will be the sport in Jernigan’s future.
As good as he is on the football field, scouts say he is even more impressive playing baseball, which is where his collegiate future lies. On July 28, Jernigan tweeted that he will become a University of Georgia Diamond Dog.
For now, Jernigan’s focus is on football and having a good senior year with his Glynn Academy teammates. He will spend Friday nights entering the stadium through the Terrors’ trademark red smoke.
“I get chills when my brothers and I break out onto the field,” Jernigan said.
Jernigan is a 5’11”, 180-pound blur when he gets the football. He runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and is elusive; he likes to make people miss. He is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball, whether as a receiver, running back, or kick returner.
On the baseball diamond, he is the quintessential leadoff man/center fielder, fast enough to reach base on a bunt or run down a long fly ball. He had 29 stolen bases in 28 games last spring including six in one game. He batted .444, scored 36 runs, and was named the Region 2-AAAAA Player of the Year and All-State Honorable Mention.
Jernigan took an interest in both football and baseball as soon as he was able to play in the Recreation League, but T-Ball and flag football were just not exciting enough for him.
“I couldn’t take another year of that boring stuff, so I played up in 8U,” he said.
He continued playing Rec ball until he reached middle school, where he started in both sports his seventh-grade year.
He was honored as the In the Game Southeast Georgia Middle School Player of the Year his eighth-grade football season at Risley Middle School. The following year, he was the starting quarterback for the Brunswick Pirates. His first big play came that season against McIntosh County Academy when he broke the school’s record for longest touchdown with a 94-yard run.
“We ran a draw play, and the hole my o-line made for me was as wide as a truck, and I just outran everyone to the end zone,” Jernigan said.
His freshman year he rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards and was named the region’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Jernigan then transferred across town to Glynn Academy, where Coach Rocky Hidalgo moved him to slot back to take advantage of his speed. He immediately became an impact player. Jernigan was part of the Red Terror squad that played for a state championship in 2015. The following season he remained at slot and was the target of passes thrown by current Miami Hurricane DeeJay Dallas. He scored eight touchdowns his junior year and had over 1,000 all-purpose yards.
He has always worn 3 or 33 in football, but wears number 5 in baseball because it has always been his father’s number.
“I would say my dad has helped me the most,” Jernigan said. “He shows me the way of life instead of just the game of football and baseball. But he pushes me hard to get better, and I appreciate him for that.”
Officially, it says Randall Jernigan Jr. on his birth certificate, but everyone knows him as Randon. He is the son of Randy and Christa Jernigan of Brunswick. Randon carries a 3.9 GPA and has been on the all-A Honor roll several times. He would like to study physical therapy or engineering in college.
“He’s a great kid and competitor, so the other players just get so much from him in the locker room,” Hidalgo said. “They all know that he has played a ton of football, and they look up to him.”
Now in his senior year, Jernigan is back behind center and hopes to duplicate the success he had the last time he was calling signals.
“It’s great returning to quarterback,” he said. “I would play anywhere Coach Rock needs me, and it just happens that this year he needs me back at quarterback. I’m excited.”
It is difficult to say whether he is better at football or baseball, but one thing is for sure: Whether he is wearing cleats or spikes, he is a leader on the team and has a bright future ahead of him.
“Whatever he decides to do down the road, he will be incredibly successful,” Hidalgo said.
Randon Jernigan (GA)
By Rob Asbell
Photography by Michael Brinson
