Terrell Jennings Jr. didn’t have a say in the matter.
Pay no mind to the fact Jennings grew up less than an hour from Mississippi State University and a little more than an hour from the University of Alabama.
Any fan worth their salt will tell you location has no effect on allegiance.
That’s why if you’re passionate about the team or school you follow, you understand how important it was for Terrell Sr. and Janet to have their son be an Ole Miss fan.
The love the Jennings’ family had for Ole Miss made it easy for Terrell Jr. to grow up a fan of the Rebels. Whether it was watching Ole Miss football or basketball, it didn’t take long before the Jennings used Terrell Jr.’s middle name, Todd, and turned it into “Toddy,” as in “Hotty Toddy,” which is a widely used greeting and/or cheer used by fans of the Rebels.
On Tuesday, Jennings gave members of his family another reason to shout “Hotty Toddy.'” This time, it didn’t involve a touchdown pass or a slam dunk. Instead, everyone in the New Hope High School library was on hand to celebrate the hard work Jennings put in to realize his dream and sign to play basketball at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville.
“Ever since they told me they had a scholarship for me, I was ready to sign,” Jennings said. “I couldn’t wait. I was eager to sign.”
Jennings always wanted to attend a football or basketball game at Ole Miss, but he never did. Still, he and his parents stayed true to the Rebels and watched them on television every chance they had. Even though MSU and Alabama are closer to New Hope, he said there was no chance for him to like any other team than Ole Miss.
While Jennings might not have had any say in which team became his favorite, he had everything to do with maturing physically and mentally to become a college basketball player.
New Hope High boys basketball coach Drew McBrayer watched Jennings develop into a key contributor. McBrayer said he wouldn’t have envisioned Jennings would go on to play in college when he saw him as a thin freshman who needed to work on his skills.
Four years later, the 6-foot-7, 200-pound Jennings averaged 14.3 points and 7.8 rebounds and was a force inside for the Trojans.
“He has transformed not only his body in the weight room and become stronger, but he also has transformed his game,” McBrayer said. “Like you said, he was a freshman who hadn’t found his way and was kind of lost out there at times, but he worked really, really hard to get where he is. I am proud of him.”
McBrayer has been at New Hope High long enough to have seen plenty of players go on to play in college. He was proud to see many of his younger players attend the signing ceremony because he feels Jennings can be a great example of what hard work and dedication can do for a player.
“He made himself into a college basketball player because when he stepped on the floor as a ninth-grader he wasn’t,” McBrayer said. “It is wonderful for him, but it one of the truest things, and the kids can see that. They see the upperclassmen work extremely hard, so it is a good thing. Now they have got to realize how hard to work and show the underclassmen. It is a chain reaction, you hope.”
McBrayer said Jennings’ increased confidence in his skills worked hand in hand with his physical maturation in the weight room. He said both parts of Jennings’ skill set went through a gradual process that came to fruition last season when Jennings broke into the starting lineup midway through his junior season. He said Jennings blossomed this season as he gained confidence and even more strength.
Jennings, who signed the National Letter of Intent on Monday, said he visited East Central C.C. in Decatur and Meridian C.C., but he experienced a different feeling when he went to Northeast Mississippi C.C. He said the second of his three visits helped him make up his mind because he knew he wanted to be a part of the Northeast Mississippi program.
Jennings said he took pride in the fact he stayed with his workouts and continued to push himself to get better so he could realize his goal. He acknowledged there were days he wanted to be lazy, but he knew he couldn’t let up or relax.
“I had to keep going because I know it was going to be worth it in the end,” Jennings said.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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