St. Louis Rams CB Janoris Jenkins Moving Past Troubled Past

September 16, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins (21) celebrates during the second half against the Washington Redskins at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Redskins 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

St. Louis Rams rookie cornerback Janoris Jenkins was a big-time college football star before his off-field issues got the best of him and cost him his spot on the Florida Gators football team. Because of his issues with marijuana abuse, Jenkins had to leave the SEC and found a new home with a Division II school, North Alabama.

While Jenkins could have let the dismissal from Florida send him into a downward spiral, the young corner made the most of his situation and turned himself into a star at the small school level.

After falling to the second-round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Jenkins is now working towards stardom with the Rams.

But how could things be different for Jenkins if he didn’t have the off-field issues in college? Would he have stayed at Florida and become a top ten draft pick as his talent suggested?

Jenkins doesn’t seem worried about the past and is instead concentrated on moving forward.

“It was just a humbling experience,” Jenkins said. “I put myself in that situation. I’ve just got to move on and just focus on now and not what happened in the past, what I could have made and what I’m making now.”

The adversity is now driving Jenkins to play some of the best football of his career. He has shown everyone that the Rams risk was well worth it and he hopes to keep improving as the season continues.

One day, the troubled college past will be behind Jenkins and we will just look at him as a star NFL cornerback.