Cal Football: Larger Than Life, Jermaine Terry II Understands He Still Has Work To Do

Before arriving on campus this summer, Cal quarterback Kai Millner made a point of trying to get to know his fellow freshmen teammates. He reached out via text messaging or on his cell.

He talked on the phone several times with Jermaine Terry II and developed a vision of what the four-star tight end would look like when they finally met.

“He’s a big, big guy . . . you don’t realize that talking to him over the phone,” Millner says. “You have that impression going in. Then you stand next to him and you realize he’s 6-6 and he’s got that bulk to him. He’s just strong, big . . . strong hands, big hands. He’s an impressive dude.”

In fact, Terry made such an impression that Millner credits him with being two inches taller than he actually is. It’s Cal’s other freshman tight end end, Keleki Latu, who stands 6-6, although he weighs just 215.

There is nothing small about Terry, who goes 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds.

“He’s still young, but he’s a big, physical guy,” Cal coach Justin Wilcox confirms.

Terry says he’s always been big. He began playing full-contact football as a second-grader with the Emeryville Ravens in the East Bay. Because of his size, he was assigned to a team with the older kids.

“I’ve never played in my age group ever in my life, until I went to high school,” Terry says.

On his early teams, Terry played defensive and offensive line, and even was given a shot at running back.

“It’s kind of weird going from O-line to running back. I don’t know how that works, but I did it,” he says. “To be honest, I didn’t even understand football.”

He just knew he liked it.

His mother, Kittara Hunter, wasn’t so sure early on.

“I had to kind of beg my mom to play because she was not (going) to let me play at first,” he says.

Terry kept getting bigger and he kept getting better. He became a hot recruiting target at Kennedy High in Richmond, ultimately picking Cal over a long list of suitors that included the likes of Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

Cal has a deep group of tight ends, led by seniors Jake Tonges, Gain Reinwald and Collin Moore. Terry is having to work to create his spot, and he’s willing to do so.

“First of all, he’s very eager. I think everybody just takes that for granted that every college football player is very, very eager. And most are, but some guys more than others,” Wilcox says in the video above.

“I think about Jermaine, and each morning as we’re preparing for our team meeting, I walk down the offensive coaches’ hallway and there’s Jermaine, sitting there, ready to talk to Geep (Chryst) about today’s install and any other little nugget that he can get to prepare for practice.”

Despite all the attention, Terry has no sense of entitlement as a freshman.

He arrived on campus in time to participate in spring ball, which he believes was invaluable in terms of learning the offense and finding his way as a college student. “To figure out who I was,” he says.

Showing up early at the tight end coach’s office is no sacrifice at all.

“It’s football and it’s something I love to do.” Terry says. “I’m grateful to have it again. Especially with COVID, not being able to play my senior year, I feel like I’ve learned to value the game a lot more.”

Terry has shown his ability to rise up and make difficult catches in practice, but that’s only part the job of a tight end.

“He likes blocking. He likes contact,” Wilcox says. “Jermaine does not mind getting down in there and mixing it up.”

“I love blocking!” Terry says in the video above. “I feel like having my aggressiveness, my body type, and my skill set, I feel like blocking is something I’m naturally supposed to be good at.”

But aggressiveness isn’t enough without technique.

“That’s what I’ve been working on — my hand placement, footwork and technique, just to become the blocker I know I can and will be.”

Cover photo of Cal freshman tight end Jermaine Terry II

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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