49ers First Round Pick Credits Razorbacks' Paul Petrino For Helping Him Develop

by Chris Bahn  on Thursday, May. 3, 2012 8:18 am  

Paul Petrino was one of the first people thanked by Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, the No. 30 pick in last week's NFL Draft. (Photo by Mark Wagner)

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Paul Petrino helped recruit three wide receivers from Arkansas who were selected in last week's NFL Draft. He spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons working to develop Joe Adams, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs.

They weren't the only former players that Petrino saw drafted.

Petrino only worked two seasons with Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins. Apparently that was enough to help Jenkins develop as a draft prospect.

Jenkins, who went No. 30 overall to the San Francisco 49ers, made Petrino one of the first people he thanked in a chat with media. Jenkins was something of a surprise pick for the first round.

“Paul Petrino was like my father figure," Jenkins told the San Jose Mercury News. "He pushed me. ... He told me to stay hungry."

Jenkins apparently had plenty of skills, Petrino, now back at Arkansas, just helped refine them. Jenkins, 6-foot, 190 pounds, has good hands and has 4.3 speedin the 40-yard dash.

"I built a good relationship with him. I coached him hard, and he bought into it," Petrino told the Mercury News.

 

 

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