Sep 15, 2015 By Eleanor Bailey 7 min read

Eddie Jenkins shreds defenses easier than he decides where he’d like to eat dinner or what songs he wants to put on his iPod.

“Those are tough choices,” said the Mt. Lebanon High School senior when asked to name his favorite restaurant or melody. “I’m not good at deciding.”

On the football field, however, Jenkins is quite good at decision-making. In fact, the 18-year-old signal caller chooses quickly whether to pass or run.

“As a quarterback, I like that fact that you always have the ball in your hands. It’s up to me to make decisions on the fly. It’s up to me what happens on every play.”

Last year, a lot happened with Jenkins behind center for the Blue Devils. He threw for 1,287 yards and 12 scores and rushed for 614 yards and eight more touchdowns. This fall, he is off to an equally impressive start. In a season-opening win against Canon-McMillan, Jenkins passed for 130 yards and one touchdown and he rushed for one more score. Last week, in a win against Moon, he threw for five touchdowns while completing 9 of 14 attempts for 284 yards.

“I enjoyed it,” Jenkins said of his performance against the Tigers. “I don’t think that people respect my passing.”

Since he started playing football back in the fifth grade, people appreciated his running. In fact, Jenkins started out as a tailback. He settled into signal caller when the quarterback ahead of him incurred an injury and later moved to another school district. Jenkins said that he “never looked back” after that. Even when Mike Melnyk took over as head coach three years ago, Jenkins adjusted easily to the new, read-option offense.

“There are a lot of quick decisions you have to make,” Jenkins said, “but I’m used to it. I’m a playmaker and adapt on the fly. I can make something out of nothing.

“Moon was one of my best passing games,” he continued. “We took advantage of their secondary. I think I am making the correct decisions and getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers. But, I think there are areas I still can improve.”

For some time, Jenkins has worked hard to improve and Melnyk is pleased with his progress. “It has been tremendous,” he said. “We are just starting to see some of the benefits of his labors.”

Jenkins has spent a great deal of time working with quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, Mike Junko. He has toiled together to improve Jenkins’s footwork and knowledge of the offense. “Eddie is a gifted student and athlete who can process it all and put it into action.”

In the classroom, Jenkins carries a 4.7 GPA. He is a member of the National Honor Society. Plus, he also competes in basketball and baseball. He has lettered four years in both of those sports. He started playing basketball in kindergarten and helped Lebo win a section title and reach the PIAA playoffs last winter. In baseball, a sport he picked up at age 5, he batted out of the No. 2 hole and finished with All-Section and All-Almanac honors for his .356 batting average, complete with a .435 on-base percentage and team-high 19 runs scored.

“Certainly playing three sports helps him with the athletic processing,” said Melnyk.

Jenkins adds all the sports are complementary. Football improves his agility and quickness. Basketball and baseball are great for his hand/eye coordination. “There is a tremendous link to all the sports. They have helped improve all my performances and helped me be successful.”

Because he plays pivotal positions such as quarterback, point guard and shortstop, Jenkins has also blossomed into a successful leader. His teammates named him captain of the football squad for the second year in a row.

“Coming back as a two-year captain, you are expected to be a leader,” Jenkins said. “As a quarterback, you are the field general. You are responsible for rallying the troops and because I have four years of varsity experience in baseball and basketball, I am able to show my leadership.

“Yes, I think I do well (with my teammates). I think I am able to get them to respond to what I say and do what I tell them to do.”

Jenkins learned his leadership skills at an early age from his parents. They set the positive example from the onset. Jenkins says his favorite times as a youth growing up in Mt. Lebanon were playing sports with his mom and dad, throwing a baseball or football outside his old house. Dan and Amy Jenkins, he said, were always interested in sports. In fact, his mother was a standout volleyball player, track star and cheerleader at Blairsville High School. Though his dad did not participate in any sports while attending Chartiers Valley High School, he introduced him to the University of Pittsburgh and its football and basketball programs. “My dad took me to all the games and I fell in love with Pitt. I’m a huge Pitt fan.”

While Pitt baseball is a fan of Jenkins, recruiting him to play in college, the 5-10, 165-pound quarterback is getting more substantial offers to play football. Ivy and Patriot League schools, including Penn, Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth and Cornell, as well as Carnegie Mellon are recruiting Jenkins, who hopes to major in business. “I could try to walk on to some baseball schools but I am receiving better offers and I am being recruited harder for football,” said Jenkins, who says he cannot pick one sport over the other. “My standard answer is whatever sport I am playing at the time is my favorite. I really do love them all.”

Coaches love Jenkins and he has earned the respect of his peers as demonstrated by his teammates naming him captain, notes Melnyk. “The best thing about him is who he is as a person,” added Melnyk. “Anyone would be proud to have him at your son. We expect him to continue to perform at a high level and his future is bright.”

Lebo’s future is bright against Baldwin this Friday and for the remainder of the season because of Jenkins and his many offensive weapons. Against Moon, he tapped them all. Jack Young had nearly 200 yards in receptions and four scores. Patrick Moeller and Nick Tommasi caught TD aerials. Plus, David Harvey rushed for over 100 yards. Emmanuel Komolafe, Edgar Parrilla and Eric Kraus also had significant carries.

Jenkins says he does not have a “favorite” target. “It depends upon what the defense gives us,” he said. “I’m confident that any of them will make a play for me and for the team. My job is to be accurate with my throws to the receivers and be consistent.”

For Jenkins, consistency means running as well as passing. Personally, Jenkins hopes to become only the second player in WPIAL history to pass and run for 1,000 yards in a season. Nicco Law from Ringgold has been the only player to accomplish the feat.

“That’s my personal goal but the team goals are more important and as a team, we want to win the conference and make it to Heinz Field and win a WPIAL championship,” Jenkins said.

To achieve those objectives are simple, says Jenkins. “We need to get stronger as the season goes on. Last year, we folded. We need to maintain our offense and play good defense. We do that then we will be able to make noise in the playoffs. As long as we go out and work hard and get the W, then we will be alright.”