Interview with Trey Jernigan
Trey Jernigan was one of the Cavaliers' first commitments for the fall of 2000, and apparently has had his eye on coming to Charlottesville for quite some time. As a senior at Thomas Dale High School in Virginia and the 12th best prospect in the state of Virginia by Superprep Magazine, Trey took the time to chat with SN this past week on the eve of his first game of the year against Manchester High School. Trey is a rather large 6'6", and weighs 310 lbs. His bench press is 410 lbs.; he runs a 5.1 second 40-yard dash and squats 500 lbs.
SN: I understand that when you were a freshman you approached Virginia Assistant Coach Bob Petchel at a high school football game?
TJ: Actually, I was in 7th grade. I went up to him and told him that I really liked UVA, what was going on, and that I was looking forward to getting to know UVA better. I told him that it would be great if I got a chance to play for them.
SN: From that point, you started getting letters from UVA; did you go to camp there?
TJ: Yes, I got letters, but we really struggled about when I could go to camp. When my parents got divorced, it became about impossible to have enough money saved to be able to go. I just went to a lot of the recruiting days and UVA football games.
SN: How many games have you gone to as a guest of the program?
TJ: Probably six or seven. I've been up there to visit, I went a couple of times to visit the campus and see what was going on, how practice was. I also went to the junior day with our quarterback, Eugene Ferguson. We went up there and that was when they gave me the scholarship offer.
SN: Have you gotten a lot of other scholarship offers?
TJ: No, I'm still getting a lot of calls and letters, but no offers.
SN: What schools are expressing an interest in you still?
TJ: I got letters from Notre Dame, Penn State, UNC, Virginia Tech, a lot from Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Marshall.
SN: Is your commitment to UVA firm, or are you considering these other schools?
TJ: No, my commitment is definitely completely firm.
SN: So you got the offer during your junior year. When did you get to the point when you know UVA was where you wanted to go?
TJ: Pretty much as soon as Coach Welsh sat my father and me down and said "Trey, we'd like you to come here," I was pretty sure I was going to be going there. It was wild, and totally exciting. It was a big moment for my father and me.
SN: So who was the main coach who recruited you?
TJ: Coach Andre Powell recruited me. He's a great guy, and a great recruiter, and he really convinced me further that UVA was the place to go.
SN: What are your goals for your senior year, academically and athletically? What are you looking forward to this year?
TJ: Well, I didn't go for an easy senior schedule like most people. I've got a pretty stiff schedule, and I'm looking to do well academically and finish up strong. Athletically, I've been really sick. I've been so sick it hurts to wake up. But this past week I went back full strength. The doctors down here couldn't figure out what was wrong with me, I was getting dizzy and getting sick to my stomach. So I went up to see a neurologist at UVA and he diagnosed me with a virus in my chest and lungs, and an ear infection. They gave me antibiotics, and taking that, I finally felt that I was healthy enough to practice. I was really upset, not being a part of practice, but I was able to go back full strength this past week. It felt good, and I started hitting day before yesterday. I'm probably not going to start tonight, but I'm going to get a lot of playing time.
SN: Are you going to play strictly offense?
TJ: Yes, strictly offense for right now, until I'm back to full capacity. I'll be playing left tackle.
SN: What have Coach Powell and Coach Welsh indicated to you that they expect of you when you get to UVA?
TJ: My coach has been thinking about changing me to guard, and they [UVA coaches] are fine with that. They really like how I pass block, how well I can move my feet. Inside our outside, they want me to play offensive line. They've talked to me about not getting too big, so I don't lose my stamina, and my ability to move my feet, so I've been working at that. They are happy with my strength, and they like my agility.
SN: What about you, what are your personal expectations about UVA athletically and academically?
TJ: I'm expecting to go in this summer, as early as I can to get a jump on things. Maybe take some summer classes, at least work out. I heard a couple of the freshman did that this summer, and now they know the plays, and they have a better chance of playing this fall. That's what I want to do. I'd like to go in and hopefully get in to the rotation. If not start, then get some playing time.
SN: So if you had your choice, you wouldn't redshirt and you would be a contributor your first year?
TJ: Absolutely. I definitely want to try to. I think it would be good to get a feel for things, get used to it, so when football and school are both going on, I can have my priorities right and not have any conflicts. Academically, I plan on majoring in computer science. I have taken three community college courses on computers, and I do a lot of stuff with them.
SN: Your academics are good and you are qualified?
TJ: Yes, definitely. I took the SAT for the first time. It was a struggle, because I didn't know I was going to take it until the day before. I had to pay the $50.00 late fee, and then I got there and they weren't going to let me take it. I got in there 5 seconds before they locked the door and I got 1050. I plan on going back in October and trying to get over 1100.
SN: Have you logged on to the TheSabre.com's message board? If so, do you enjoy it?
TJ: Yes, I have. Well, it gives everyone a chance to address rumors that are out there; some are true, some are not. There was some confusion about how I felt about my coach. I love my coach; he's a great coach. He's a strict man, he's has rules that he goes by, but I wouldn't want to play for anyone else right now. I had to make sure that everyone knew that. It also gives me a chance to get to know the fans that will be watching me when I get there.
SN: I know someone jumped on you on the board a little bit about spelling or grammar, how did you feel about that?
TJ: No problem. I have a bad time trying to sleep at night, which is why I was up late that night on the board. It's hard to type, I have big hands that cover the keyboard, and sometimes I slip up. My dad was on me that morning about 7:00, getting on me because I misspelled some words. I wasn't offended at all, and I have no grudge against it, and a lot of people took up for me. I was really happy about that, I was glad to see that people would stick with you when you mess up.
Chris MacAulay, The Sabre, October 7th, 1999
