Jeff Janis

Last updated

Jeff Janis
Jeff Janis in 2014.jpg
Janis with the Green Bay Packers in 2014
No. 83
Position: Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1991-06-24) June 24, 1991 (age 32)
Tawas City, Michigan, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:219 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school: Tawas Area
(Tawas City, Michigan)
College: Saginaw Valley State (2009–2013)
NFL draft: 2014  / Round: 7 / Pick: 236
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:17
Receiving yards:200
Return yards:568
Total touchdowns:2
Player stats at PFR

Jeffrey Ronald Janis (born June 24, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Contents

Early life

A native of Tawas City, Michigan, Janis attended Tawas Area High School. [1] He was a member of both the football and basketball teams, and was an all-conference wide receiver who also played as a running back following an injury, and ended up leading his team in rushing. [2]

College career

Janis attended Saginaw Valley State University from 2009 to 2013, and played for the Cardinals. [3] [4] After red-shirting in 2009, he caught 9 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown in 2010. In 2011, he appeared in all 11 games, starting eight and posted a team-high 968 receiving yards on 48 receptions (20.2 avg.) and 14 touchdowns. In 2012, he started all 11 games and was second in the nation with 106 receptions and led all DII players with 1,635 receiving yards, both of which set new SVSU single season marks. He caught 17 touchdown passes and was named a first-team All-GLIAC selection. In 2013, he caught 83 passes for 1,572 yards and 14 touchdowns. He earned himself first-team All-GLIAC honors, and was a first-team AFCA Div. II All-American. [5]

For his collegiate career, Janis finished second in the history of the GLIAC with 4,305 receiving yards. [6]

Janis was invited to play in the 2014 Senior Bowl. [7]

College statistics

Saginaw Valley State Cardinals
YearGPReceivingRushingKick Returns
RecYdsAvgLngTDAttYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTD
2010 10913014.42813165.315024020.0200
2011 114896820.276142178.5140000.000
2012 111061,63515.4731711515.0151000.000
2013 12831,57218.9951444912.325257114.2270
Total 442464,30517.5954610979.7253711115.9270

Professional career

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Janis's NFL Combine workout
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press Wonderlic
6 ft 2+78 in
(1.90 m)
219 lb
(99 kg)
32+12 in
(0.83 m)
9 in
(0.23 m)
4.42 s1.55 s2.60 s3.98 s6.64 s37.5 in
(0.95 m)
10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)
20 reps30 [8]
All values are from NFL Combine [9] [10]

Green Bay Packers

Janis was selected in the seventh round (236th overall) by the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL Draft. [11] [12] [13] Janis was the first Saginaw Valley State Cardinal drafted since offensive guard Todd Herremans in 2005, and the first wide receiver in school history to be drafted, though his early role on the team was more on the special teams rather than taking snaps at wide receiver. [14]

Janis made his NFL debut on September 28, 2014, against the Chicago Bears, but he recorded no official statistics. [15] He appeared in one more game, which was against the Miami Dolphins, in the 2014 season. [16]

In the 2015 season, Janis appeared in all 16 games in the regular season as a kick returner and backup receiver. [17] His two receptions for 79 yards against the San Diego Chargers were his only receiving statistics for the regular season. [18] He had a breakout game in the NFC Divisional Round game on January 16, 2016, against the Arizona Cardinals. He caught seven passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including a 41-yard Hail Mary pass from Aaron Rodgers on the final play of regulation to bring the game into overtime. The Packers, however, lost 26–20 in overtime. [1] 101 of these yards came on the game-tying drive to end regulation; he also caught a 60-yard pass on 4th and 20 from the Packers' 4-yard line to set up the tying score. [19]

On August 10, 2016, Janis fractured at least one of the bones in his right hand during a ball-security drill at Packers training camp. [20] He remained in a backup role in the 2016 season. He had a receiving touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in a 33–32 loss. Overall, in the 2016 season, he recorded 11 receptions for 93 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in addition to a 19-yard rushing touchdown, which occurred against the Seattle Seahawks. [21] [22] In the 2017 season, he mainly had a special teams role. He recorded two receptions for 12 yards and three kick returns for 43 net yards. [23]

Cleveland Browns

Janis with the Browns during the 2018 preseason Jeff Janis (29350133897).jpg
Janis with the Browns during the 2018 preseason

On March 30, 2018, Janis signed with the Cleveland Browns. [24] On August 31, 2018, he was released. [25]

NFL career statistics

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSReceivingKick returnsFumbles
RecYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTDFUMLost
2014 GB 302168.090000.00000
2015 GB 16027939.54601440629.070000
2016 GB 161111938.5251611919.828000
2017 GB 1602126.012034314.317000
Total 51111720011.84612356824.770000

Postseason

YearTeamGPGSReceivingKick returnsFumbles
RecYdsAvgLngTDRetYdsAvgLngTDFUMLost
2015 GB 20714520.760249924.835000
2016 GB 30000.00037725.733000
Total 50714520.7602717625.135000

After-football career

In April 2019, Janis bought Timmy Tire Center in East Tawas, Michigan, where he had been employed in high school and college, and renamed it Janis Tire and Auto. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Rodgers</span> American football player (born 1983)

Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, before being selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, spending 18 seasons with the team. He is regarded among the greatest and most talented quarterbacks of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Schweigert</span> American football player and coach (born 1981)

Stuart Eric Schweigert is a former American football safety. He played college football at Purdue and played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons, from 2004 to 2008. He was drafted in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Jones (wide receiver)</span> American football player (born 1984)

James DeAndre Jones is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Jose State Spartans and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. With the Packers, he helped them win Super Bowl XLV over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also a member of the Oakland Raiders. He is an NFL Network analyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin Johnson</span> American football player (born 1985)

Calvin Johnson Jr., is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. Nicknamed "Megatron" after the Transformers character of the same name, he is regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as a junior, and was selected by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordy Nelson</span> American football player (born 1985)

Jordy Ray Nelson is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland Raiders. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats, receiving consensus All-American honors in 2007. He was selected by Green Bay in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. During his tenure with the Packers, he won Super Bowl XLV with the team over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 season. After spending 10 seasons in Green Bay, he played one year with the Raiders before announcing his retirement. In 2023, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Cook</span> American football player (born 1987)

Jared Alan Cook is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Cobb (American football)</span> American football player (born 1990)

Randall Ladonald Cobb II is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats, earning All-American honors in 2010. Cobb was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. He also played one season each for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and New York Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Lacy</span> American football player (born 1990)

Edward Darwin Lacy Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was a member of three BCS National Championship teams in the 2009, 2011, and 2012 seasons. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devin Funchess</span> American basketball player (born 1994)

Devin Akeem Funchess is an American former football wide receiver and current professional basketball player for the Caribbean Storm Islands of the Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines as a tight end, and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. He was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Heath (American football)</span> American football player (born 1991)

Jeff Heath is a former American football safety. He played college football at Saginaw Valley State University. Heath signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davante Adams</span> American football player (born 1992)

Davante Lavell Adams is an American football wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). Born in East Palo Alto, California, Adams attended Palo Alto High School where he played football and basketball. He played two seasons of college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs and was named a second-team All-American in 2013 before being selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ty Montgomery</span> American football player (born 1993)

Ty Anthony Montgomery II is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning consensus All-American honors in 2013. Montgomery was selected as a wide receiver by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. In 2016, he changed positions to running back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Williams (wide receiver, born 1994)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Michael K. Williams is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers seventh overall in the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathon Jennings</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

Jonathon Jennings is an American former professional football quarterback who played for the BC Lions and Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He attended Saginaw Valley State University, where he played college football. Jennings made his professional debut for the Lions in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Davis</span> American football player (born 1993)

Trevor Lee Davis is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at California and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Washington Football Team and Atlanta Falcons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amara Darboh</span> Sierra Leonean-born American football player (born 1994)

Amara Darboh is a Sierra Leonean-born former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He played college football at Michigan. A native of Sierra Leone, Darboh was orphaned during the Sierra Leone Civil War and moved to Iowa at age seven. He enrolled at the University of Michigan and was the Wolverines' leading receiver with 58 catches in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Jones (running back)</span> American football player (born 1994)

Aaron LaRae Jones is an American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UTEP Miners and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. In seven seasons with the Packers, Jones led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2019, made the Pro Bowl in 2020, and ranks third in the team's all-time rushing yards list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquez Valdes-Scantling</span> American football player (born 1994)

Marquez Reshard Valdes-Scantling, also known by his initials MVS, is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at NC State and South Florida, and was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, where he won Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LVIII in his two seasons with the team.

Christian Justus Watson is an American football wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Dakota State, and was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Nailor</span> American football player (born 1999)

Jalen Rasheed Nailor, nicknamed "Speedy", is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Michigan State.

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Lee (January 16, 2016). "Green Bay Packers Hail Mary makes Tawas native Jeff Janis instant star". MLive.com . Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  2. "Green Bay Packers hero honored by his Michigan hometown with Jeff Janis Week". MLive.com . January 21, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  3. "National spotlight shines on SVSU alum Janis". Saginaw Valley State University. January 19, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  4. "Jeff Janis". Saginaw Valley State Cardinals. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  5. Niziolek, Michael (December 17, 2013). "Honors keep coming for SVSU wide receiver Jeff Janis with selection to AFCA All-America Team". mlive.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  6. "After Green Bay Packers Hail Mary, fans far beyond Tawas know Jeff Janis". MLive.com. January 29, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  7. Niziolek, Michael (December 13, 2013). "SVSU wide receiver Jeff Janis invited to play in 2014 Senior Bowl". mlive.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  8. Wilde, Jason (June 8, 2016). "Packers, Aaron Rodgers hopeful Jeff Janis can deliver on potential". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  9. "Jeff Janis Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  10. "Jeff Janis - Saginaw Valley State, WR : 2014 NFL Draft Scout Player Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  11. "2014 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  12. "Jeff Janis Draft Profile – NFL.com". NFL.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  13. Niziolek, Michael (May 11, 2014). "SVSU wide receiver Jeff Janis selected in the seventh round, 236th overall pick, by the Green Bay Packers". mlive.com. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  14. "Saginaw Valley St. Drafted Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  15. "Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears - September 28th, 2014". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  16. "Jeff Janis 2014 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  17. "Jeff Janis 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  18. "San Diego Chargers at Green Bay Packers - October 18th, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  19. "Divisional Round - Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals - January 16th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  20. Demovsky, Rob (August 13, 2016). "Packers WR Jeff Janis has fracture in right hand". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  21. "Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers - December 11th, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  22. "Jeff Janis 2016 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  23. "Jeff Janis 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  24. "Browns sign WR Jeff Janis and QB Drew Stanton". ClevelandBrowns.com. March 30, 2018. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018.
  25. "Browns reduce roster to 72". ClevelandBrowns.com. August 31, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  26. Meinert, Kendra (July 1, 2019). "Jordy Nelson and Jeff Janis: Just a couple of former Packers wide receivers talking tires". Green Bay Press-Gazette . Gannett . Retrieved July 12, 2019.