Raiders CB Mike Jenkins holds ‘personal vendetta’ against Cowboys
By Josh Sanchez
Oakland Raiders cornerback Mike Jenkins is getting ready to suit up against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on short rest despite suffering a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. Jenkins is fully expected to be active for the Thanksgiving Day game even though there is short rest, and he will be looking to put together a quality performance against the team that drafted him in the first-round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
Jenkins left the team in the offseason after they didn’t have enough cap room to keep him on the roster and he says that it was a personal vendetta that led to the end of his time in Dallas.
“My swagger and my confidence never left. My last few years in Dallas had nothing to do with swagger,” Jenkins said, via Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “It was more of a personal vendetta that was going on around there, and I don’t care too much to talk about it.”
One thing Jenkins was clear about is that he holds no personal grudge against Orlando Scandrick, who received a five-year, $27 million deal which ultimately sealed Jenkins’ fate with the Cowboys.
“Why would I be envious of Orlando?” Jenkins said. “That’s like one of my best friends. I would never be envious of Orlando Scandrick. First of all, I came in on top. I came in as a first-round draft pick. There’s no reason for me to be envious.”
Jenkins would love to come up with a big play against his former team, as any player would like to do, but there will be a lot more going on out on the field than just Jenkins vs. the Cowboys defenders.
The entire Raiders secondary will need to step up in a big way to slow down Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and company, but the added motivation that Jenkins will have can certainly help.