Jaguar profile: Rashad Jennings

by Photos and interview by Daniel Goncalves,
Q: Where are you from originally?
A: I’m originally born and raised in Forrest, Virginia. It’s pretty much self explanatory, I’m from Forrest, it’s the country, I’m a hometown boy, born and raised.

Q: What do you miss most about home?
A: Family, I miss family, I’m a family guy. With Thanksgiving just past and Christmas coming up that’s one of the biggest things and the curvy road, seeing the deer in the road, the cows, and walking around, the horses, the whole atmosphere.

Q: Brothers, sisters?
A: Yeah, I have two older brothers, which they both are married, happily, they have a nice family and my uncle, two parents, two loving parents.

Q: You like to play guitar, what type of guitar do you play?
A: Acoustic, 100% acoustic.

Q: What do you like playing?
A: I just like playing chords, playing different songs together. People I like to listen to who I think are phenomenal with the guitar, John Mayer, he’s one of my favorites. I like Dave Mathews, list goes on and on, I listen to a lot of different people. I just like the guitar, it just sound good. I like any live music.

Q: Have you made it to any concerts yet?
A: I haven’t made it to any yet, I just missed Toby Keith that came through not too long ago, couldn’t catch it. I love live music.

Q: When’s your concert coming up?
A: (laughs) I don’t know, I got to get the rest of the band, Montell plays trumpet, another guy plays the drums.

Q: The Offseason Jaguar band?
A: Exactly!

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?
A: Everything, I just finished downloading some Christmas Carols from Frankie Sinatra and Michael Buble. I listen to everything, rap, r&b, everything.

Q: What’s your pre-game playlist?
A: Something to get me into the mood a little bit. Get the blood flowing a little bit, usually, always listen to some gospel.

Q: Any other sports you like playing?
A: I love playing basketball. Basketball, basketball, basketball. It was my first love, you just get a ball and get out there and play, you don’t need a whole lot of people. Tennis, I’m going to pick up golf here soon. Anything that’s competitive, I’m there.

Q: Can you dunk?
A: Yeah, me and Quentin (Groves) went to Play 60 and I dunked.

Q: How can fans get in touch with you?
A: On twitter (@RashadJennings). Fan mail, I take my time and write back. I think of things that I wish some people would have done for me. Don’t want to give something back generic. You have a chance to influence somebody’s life. You never know.

Q: Who was your influence?
A: When I was growing up, my brothers, I looked up to them tremendously. One of the things that people always say, who do you inspire to be like, I always say that I’m trying to be “that guy” that I can look in the mirror years down that road and say, “that’s the guy I’ve been trying to be.”

Q: What kind of personality are you in the locker room?
A: Chill. Sit back, relax, observe everything, smile, laugh, little clown, we have fun over here laughing.

Q: Any pranks?
A: Still in the rookie stage, they’re coming.

Q: Who gave you your rookie haircut?
A: That man over there (Clint Ingram) hooked me up (laughs). Gave me an ol’ George Jefferson lookin, it was hysterical.

Q: What did your mom say?
A: Ahhh look at my baby! What are they doing? I said, I’m alright ma.

Q: What is the last movie you watched?
A: It was on a plane, wow, I can’t remember.

Q: Favorite type of movie?
A: I like action. I like something that’s going to get me to think. Last one we had a big argument about with some of my friends, we like to get together, watch the same movie, talk about what we got out of it. Hancock. We debated about it for days like what was it about? Was it love, was it hate? What did you see spiritually in it? We did that for a long time.

Q: Girlfriend?
A: My girlfriend, she lives in Virginia and I’m here so, we have dinner and movie dates on the phone (laughs), we’ll catch a movie at the same time in the theatre, we talk about it later. We’ll set up a dinner at the same place, different state, same time. Hey you have to do something.

Q: What type of food do you like?
A: I’m fond of sushi, chicken, lasagna, I’m a healthy eater.

Q: What’s your favorite sushi place in town?
A: Saki House in Riverside. I’m over there so much I’m a regular.

Q: Hobbies, what do you do in your downtime?
A: I’m writing a book, we’re all products of what we know, giving my little life story about what I’ve seen, interacting with people, and things I’ve got out of it, just my lifestyle. Other things, just hanging out, joking, laughing. I love to laugh. I’m going to find humor in everything. That’s just me.

Q: Is there something that most people don’t know about you?
A: (pause) I’m a sucker for fresh baked cookies, if it’s fresh out of the oven, you got me. I can’t say no. Other than that I don’t eat any sweets. I’m an easy going guy, I’m your regular Joe Blow by far.

Q: Is there a part of town that you like to hang out in?
A: I went to the Comedy Zone and I liked that.