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Team / Players / Cullen Jenkins
 
DE CULLEN JENKINS #77
6' 2" 305 lbs. Central Michigan

Exp: 6th NFL Season, 6th Packers Season
Age: 28
Acquired: Free Agent 2004
Current Status: Active Roster
2008 Bio:
  • First name is pronounced KULL-en
  • Missed final 12 games of 2008 with torn pectoral muscle, which required surgery
  • Batted down nine passes in 2007, the most by a Packers defensive lineman since the team began recording the statistic in 1980
  • Took over as starting defensive end in final month of 2006 season, and parlayed impressive work into his first long-term contract. Recorded a career-high 6½ sacks that year, including his first three-sack game, vs. Detroit (Dec. 17)
  • Led the NFL in 2005 with three blocked kicks, joining Chicago’s Alfonso Boone (2) as one of just two players with multiple blocks that year
  • In his 2004 NFL debut, played against older brother, Kris, a former DT for the Panthers (now N.Y. Jets)
  • Now a 300-pound lineman, ran the 100-meter dash and 300-meter hurdles as an all-conference high school athlete
Pro Summary
  • Quiet but steady defensive lineman enters his sixth NFL season hoping to stay fully healthy after injury issues the past two years
  • Missed 12 games last season due to a torn pectoral muscle that required surgery and placement on injured reserve, this after getting off to a strong start in 2008 following several nagging injuries in 2007 that didn’t keep him from playing but limited the productivity he’s displayed when healthy
  • Seen as a strong fit at defensive end in the Packers’ new 3-4 scheme, with the bulk to occupy blockers and stop the run but also the versatility to provide pass rush from the inside, a role he has excelled at in the past when shifting to defensive tackle from his defensive end spot on passing downs
  • Had 18 tackles and 2½ sacks in four games last season before getting hurt, raising his five-year career totals to 192 tackles (118 solo), 17½ sacks, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 20 passes defensed
  • Had nine of those batted passes in 2007 (including four in one game), the most by a Packers defensive lineman in one season since the team began keeping the stat in 1980
  • Helped make the Packers a different defense down the stretch in 2006, taking over as a starting defensive end in his first true every-down role
  • Switch was made primarily to provide stouter run defense on early downs, but Jenkins’ pass-rush skills began to flourish as well
  • Finished the season with a career-high 6½ sacks, including a three-sack effort in his first ’06 start at end
  • Played so well in helping the Packers finish the season with a four-game winning streak that the team locked him up with a multi-year contract just days before he was scheduled to become a restricted free agent
  • The contract was a monumental step in the career of a humble, undrafted player from a non-major college program who was cut during his first training camp, sent to NFL Europe the following spring, and always playing with a one-year deal
  • Ability to adapt so well at defensive end traces back to his college days at Central Michigan, where he played end at around 245 pounds before bulking up to take his shot at the pros as an interior lineman
  • Began to come into his own in 2005 as a starting defensive tackle, blocking a league-best three kicks and piling up seven passes defensed
  • In 2004, tied for second on the team with 4½  sacks in his first pro season, coming off a stint in NFL Europe that helped him win a roster spot in his second attempt
  • Started all 10 games for the Cologne Centurions in 2004, and posted 24 tackles (12 solo) with 1½ sacks and seven quarterback pressures, adding five passes defensed
  • Originally signed with the Packers as a non-drafted free agent, May 2, 2003, but was waived during training camp that year
2008 SeasonBack To Top
  • Was off to the best start of his career statistically, posting 18 tackles and 2½ sacks in the first four games, before sustaining a pectoral injury at Tampa Bay in Week 4
  • Placed on injured reserve Oct. 1 and had surgery the next day
  • Vs. Minnesota (Sept. 8): Led defensive linemen with five tackles, adding four QB pressures and three QB hits, and helped limit Pro Bowl RB Adrian Peterson to just 28 yards on 10 carries in the second half
  • At Detroit (Sept. 14): Sacked QB Jon Kitna in the third quarter among three tackles, two QB hits and two pressures
  • Vs. Dallas (Sept. 21): Led defensive line and tied career high with seven tackles and tied for team lead with 1.5 sacks. Among three QB hits, forced a fumble by QB Tony Romo on sack toward end of first half that was recovered by Dallas, and burst into backfield to stop RB Felix Jones for a 5-yard loss in third quarter
  • At Tampa Bay (Sept. 28): Recorded three tackles, batted down a pass, and posted three QB hits and one pressure, but left game early in the fourth quarter after injuring his pectoral attempting to bring down QB Brian Griese for a sack
2007 SeasonBack To Top
  • Started 15 of 16 games despite several nagging injuries and tied his career high with 49 tackles (31 solo) plus one sack and nine passes defensed
  • His nine batted passes marked the most by a Green Bay defensive lineman since the team began recording the statistic in 1980
  • Also started both playoff games, posting 10 total tackles (seven solo) with 1½ sacks and one pass defensed
  • At Minnesota (Sept. 30): Came off the bench and was credited with four batted passes
  • Vs. Washington (Oct. 14): Made his lone sack of the season, among four solo tackles. After earlier forcing QB Jason Campbell into an intentional grounding penalty, sacked Campbell for a 2-yard loss, but left the game following the next play and had X-rays on his knee and ankle; returned to play at start of second half
  • Vs. Seattle (Jan. 12): In NFC Divisional playoff, made five tackles (three solo), including 1½ sacks. In the first quarter, sacked Matt Hasselbeck for a 10-yard loss on third-and-5, forcing a punt. In the fourth quarter, split a sack with Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, taking down Hasselbeck for a loss of 12
  • Vs. N.Y. Giants (Jan. 20): In NFC Championship Game, Made five tackles (four solo), and batted an Eli Manning pass on third-and-10, leading to a field goal
2006 SeasonBack To Top
  • Played in 14 games with five starts, including the season’s final three weeks at right defensive end, where he excelled
  • Beginning in Week 14 at San Francisco, received increased reps at defensive end on early downs, in an effort to improve the run defense and also to rest Gbaja-Biamila for passing downs
  • His 6½ sacks were a career high and ranked third on the team
  • Had 48 tackles (28 solo), two passes defensed and a pair of fumble recoveries
  • Missed two contests with an injured left ankle, sustained in Week 5
  • At Philadelphia (Oct. 2): Sacked Donovan McNabb for a 9-yard loss on third-and-12 and, on the next play, ended the first half by alertly making the tackle on a fake field-goal pass
  • At Buffalo (Nov. 5): Returned to practice three days prior from ankle injury and sacked J.P. Losman. Also tipped a pass at the line to force a punt
  • At Minnesota (Nov. 12): Split sacks of Brad Johnson with Aaron Kampman and A.J. Hawk
  • At San Francisco (Dec. 10): Saw about two-thirds of his snaps at right defensive end after practicing there during the week; on third-and-9 in third quarter, sacked Alex Smith with Kampman, forcing a three-and-out
  • Vs. Detroit (Dec. 17): Taking the place of Gbaja-Biamila, made his first ’06 start at RDE and answered with career bests of seven tackles and three sacks, all the sacks coming in the first half (the first from the end position and the other two as a tackle, both on third downs forcing punts). Became the third Green Bay player to record three sacks in a 2006 game (also Kampman and Corey Williams); never before had as many as three Packers posted three-sack games in the same season. Also recovered a second Kitna fumble on a Detroit fourth-and-1
2005 SeasonBack To Top
  • Played in all 16 games with 12 starts — all at defensive tackle — and in doing so doubled his ’04 starts total
  • Finished with a career-high 49 tackles (28 solo), including three sacks, plus one fumble recovery and seven passes defensed
  • Led the NFL with three blocked kicks, joining Chicago’s Alfonso Boone (2) as one of two players in 2005 with multiple blocks
  • Got his hands on two PATs and one field goal, becoming the first Packer to block a PAT since Cletidus Hunt, Dec. 8, 2002
  • Vs. Cleveland (Sept. 18): Made a (then) career-high six tackles (four solo) and blocked a Phil Dawson PAT try in the third quarter
  • At Carolina (Oct. 3): Blocked a John Kasay PATattempt and recovered a Jake Delhomme fumble caused by Gbaja-Biamila, setting up a 16-yard Donald Lee TDreception one play later
  • Vs. Pittsburgh (Nov. 6): Blocked a 51-yard field goal attempt by Jeff Reed in the fourth quarter
2004 SeasonBack To Top
  • Contributed 28 tackles (18 solo) over the course of the season, including 4½ sacks (tied with Kampman for second on the team), plus one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and two passes defensed
  • Played in all 16 regular-season games, plus one postseason contest, making six starts
  • At Carolina (Sept. 13): Making NFL debut in Monday night opener, playing against older brother Kris, a Panthers DT, took a significant number of snaps after Grady Jackson (kneecap) was sidelined early in contest
  • At Detroit (Oct. 17): In last of four-game starting streak at ‘Eagle’ tackle position when the usual starter, Hunt, shifted over to nose tackle to replace Jackson, helped limit the Lions to 33 yards rushing on 16 attempts (2.1 avg.). Also pressured QB Joey Harrington into an interception that Darren Sharper returned 36 yards for a TD
  • At Philadelphia (Dec. 5): On the Eagles’ first drive, recorded a sack, forced fumble and recovered it when he came around McNabb’s backside and swatted the ball out of the QB’s hand, then pounced on it
2003 SeasonBack To Top
  • Spent the season out of football after Green Bay waived him in the first mandatory roster reduction, Aug. 26
  • 2003 Draft: Originally signed with the Packers as a non-drafted free agent on May 2
CollegeBack To Top
  • Was a four-year letterwinner (1999-2002) at Central Michigan, starting his last three years
  • Majored in elementary education
  • Senior season (2002): Recorded 40 tackles (20 solo), seven tackles for a loss, 4½ sacks and two passes defensed in 12 games
  • Junior season (2001): Started every game and finished with 48 tackles (28 solo), 10 stops for a loss and five sacks
  • Sophomore season (2000): Recorded 49 tackles and two sacks following limited action as true freshman in 1999
PersonalBack To Top
  • Given name Cullen Darome Jenkins
  • First name is pronounced KULL-en
  • Born in Detroit
  • Married to his high school sweetheart, the former Pashun Hussin, the couple has two children, Jasmin, 9, and Ashanti, 6
  • Brother, Kris, played seven years for the Carolina Panthers and now plays for the N.Y. Jets
  • High school: Earned four letters in track, three in football and two in basketball at Belleville (Mich.) High School
  • Recognized with all-conference honors in football and in track, running the 100-meter dash and 300-meter hurdles
  • Community involvement: Served as a celebrity tasting judge for the Exceptional Equestrians Celebrity Booyah Bash this past March in Green Bay, raising money to provide educational and therapeutic horseback riding instruction for people with special needs
  • Has assisted in the ‘Campbell’s Chunky Soup Click For Cans’ competition, helping unload soup from a truck to give to participating pantries
  • Also served breakfast at a local Hardee’s to raise money for multiple sclerosis
  • Is an active supporter for ‘Reaching for the Stars’ which raises money for cystic fibrosis
  • Has participated in the Brett Favre Celebrity Softball game, the Edgar Bennett Celebrity Bowl-A-Thon, as well as other events to benefit Family Services of NE Wisconsin and the Donald Driver Foundation
  • In 2007, received the ‘Nice Guy Award’ at the annual Doug Jirschele Sports Awards Banquet in Clintonville, Wis., and taped a public service announcement for the Red Cross, encouraging blood donation
  • In 2006, was a guest at a Swan House auction, a house built with donated time and materials designated for single-parent college students
  • Other volunteer work includes reading books to school children and speaking to local Pop Warner football teams about sportsmanship and what it takes to become a professional athlete
  • Hobbies/interests: Has aspirations of being an elementary school teacher, businessman or getting into coaching
  • Enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, fishing and traveling, especially to Florida; his best catch was a 62-inch golden amberjack in Florida
  • Also took an offseason fishing trip to Destin, Fla., and estimates his group caught 175 pounds of fish
  • Names House as his favorite TV program
  • Residence: Belleville, Mich.
Player StatsBack To Top
TacklesSacksInterceptionsFumbles
Year GP GS Tot Solo Asst Sk Yds No Yds Lg TD PD FF FR Yds
2004 Green Bay 16 6 28 18 10 29½ 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0
2005 Green Bay 16 12 49 28 21 3 20½ 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 -2
2006 Green Bay 14 5 48 28 20 62 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0
2007 Green Bay 16 15 49 31 18 1 2 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0
2008 Green Bay 4 4 18 13 5 25½ 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
NFL totals (five years) 66 42 192 118 74 17½ 139½ 0 0 0 0 21 2 4 -2

Playoffs
TacklesSacksInterceptionsFumbles
Year GP GS Tot Solo Asst Sk Yds No Yds Lg TD PD FF FR Yds
2004 Green Bay 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2007 Green Bay 2 2 10 7 3 16 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Postseason 3 2 11 7 4 16 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

NFL Europe
Year GP GS Total UT AT Sacks Int PD FR FF
2004 Cologne Centurions 10 10 24 12 12 0 5 0 0

Additional statistics: Blocked P.Dawson PAT attempt, vs. Cleveland, 9/18/05; blocked J.Kasay PAT attempt, at Carolina, 10/3/05; blocked J.Reed FG attempt, vs. Pittsburgh, 11/6/05. Career sacks - Jon Kitna (4), Donovan McNabb (2), Brad Johnson (1½), Tony Romo (1½). Mark Brunell, Jason Campbell, Daunte Culpepper, Chad Hutchinson, J.P. Losman, Kyle Orton, Seneca Wallace, Joey Harrington (½), Alex Smith (½), Vinny Testaverde (½), Special teams tackles - 1 in 2006.

SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
Tackles
Total: 7, vs. Det. (12/17/06) and vs. Dal. (9/21/08)
Solo: 7, vs. Det. (12/17/06)
Sacks: 3, vs. Det. (12/17/06)

NFL debut: at Carolina, 9/13/04
First NFL start: at Indianapolis, 9/26/04
First sack: vs. Dallas, 10/24/04 (V.Testaverde, shared with A.Kampman)

CAREER TRANSACTIONS
2003: Signed by Green Bay Packers as non-drafted free agent, May 2...Waived by Packers, Aug. 26.
2004: Re-signed by Packers as reserve/future free agent and allocated to Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa, Jan. 16.
2005: Re-signed by Packers as exclusive-rights free agent, March 29.
2006: Re-signed by Packers as exclusive-rights free agent, March 14.
2007: Signed four-year contract extension with Packers, Feb. 26.
2008: Placed on injured reserve (pectoral), Oct. 1.

CURRENT CONTRACT EXPIRATION: After 2010

ELIAS Game By Game Packers Stats
Game Date OppSacksInterceptions
NoYdsAvgTD
Sep 13, 2004 @CAR0000.00
Sep 19, 2004 CHI0000.00
Sep 26, 2004 @IND0000.00
Oct 3, 2004 NYG0000.00
Oct 11, 2004 TEN0000.00
Oct 17, 2004 @DET0000.00
Oct 24, 2004 DAL0.5000.00
Oct 31, 2004 @WAS1000.00
Nov 14, 2004 MIN1000.00
Nov 21, 2004 @HOU0000.00
Nov 29, 2004 STL0000.00
Dec 5, 2004 @PHI1000.00
Dec 12, 2004 DET0000.00
Dec 19, 2004 JAC0000.00
Dec 24, 2004 @MIN0000.00
Jan 2, 2005 @CHI1000.00
2004 Totals4.5000.00
Sep 11, 2005 @DET0.5000.00
Sep 18, 2005 CLE0000.00
Sep 25, 2005 TB0000.00
Oct 3, 2005 @CAR0000.00
Oct 9, 2005 NO0000.00
Oct 23, 2005 @MIN0000.00
Oct 30, 2005 @CIN0000.00
Nov 6, 2005 PIT0000.00
Nov 13, 2005 @ATL0000.00
Nov 21, 2005 MIN0.5000.00
Nov 27, 2005 @PHI0000.00
Dec 4, 2005 @CHI1000.00
Dec 11, 2005 DET0000.00
Dec 19, 2005 @BAL0000.00
Dec 25, 2005 CHI0000.00
Jan 1, 2006 SEA1000.00
2005 Totals3000.00
Sep 10, 2006 CHI0000.00
Sep 17, 2006 NO0000.00
Sep 24, 2006 @DET0000.00
Oct 2, 2006 @PHI1000.00
Oct 8, 2006 STL0000.00
Oct 22, 2006 @MIA0000.00
Oct 29, 2006 ARI0000.00
Nov 5, 2006 @BUF1000.00
Nov 12, 2006 @MIN1000.00
Nov 19, 2006 NE0000.00
Nov 27, 2006 @SEA0000.00
Dec 3, 2006 NYJ0000.00
Dec 10, 2006 @SF0.5000.00
Dec 17, 2006 DET3000.00
Dec 21, 2006 MIN0000.00
Dec 31, 2006 @CHI0000.00
2006 Totals6.5000.00
Sep 9, 2007 PHI0000.00
Sep 16, 2007 @NYG0000.00
Sep 23, 2007 SD0000.00
Sep 30, 2007 @MIN0000.00
Oct 7, 2007 CHI0000.00
Oct 14, 2007 WAS1000.00
Oct 29, 2007 @DEN0000.00
Nov 4, 2007 @KC0000.00
Nov 11, 2007 MIN0000.00
Nov 18, 2007 CAR0000.00
Nov 22, 2007 @DET0000.00
Nov 29, 2007 @DAL0000.00
Dec 9, 2007 OAK0000.00
Dec 16, 2007 @STL0000.00
Dec 23, 2007 @CHI0000.00
Dec 30, 2007 DET0000.00
2007 Totals1000.00
Sep 8, 2008 MIN0000.00
Sep 14, 2008 @DET1000.00
Sep 21, 2008 DAL1.5000.00
Sep 28, 2008 @TB0000.00
Oct 5, 2008 ATL0000.00
Oct 12, 2008 @SEA0000.00
Oct 19, 2008 IND0000.00
Nov 2, 2008 @TEN0000.00
Nov 9, 2008 @MIN0000.00
Nov 16, 2008 CHI0000.00
Nov 24, 2008 @NO0000.00
Nov 30, 2008 CAR0000.00
Dec 7, 2008 HOU0000.00
Dec 14, 2008 @JAC0000.00
Dec 22, 2008 @CHI0000.00
Dec 28, 2008 DET0000.00
2008 Totals2.5000.00
Sep 13, 2009 CHI1000.00
Sep 20, 2009 CIN1000.00
Sep 27, 2009 @STL0000.00
Oct 5, 2009 @MIN0000.00
Oct 18, 2009 DET0144.00
Oct 25, 2009 @CLE1.5000.00
Nov 1, 2009 MIN0000.00
2009 Totals3.5144.00
Packers Totals21144.00

Statistics provided by Elias Sports Bureau
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