Former Tulane Football Star Finds New NFL Home With Arizona Cardinals
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The path to the NFL for college football players often isn't linear.
If a player isn't drafted, that road grows tougher as they may find themselves landing with more than one team in their battle for a roster spot through undrafted free agency.
For former Tulane Green Wave defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins, that will be the case for his NFL journey after initially landing a camp invite from the New Orleans Saints.
Tulane Football’s Patrick Jenkins Signs With Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals announced Tuesday that they were signing Jenkins, as general manager Monti Ossenfort continues to invest in their defensive front.
The announcement followed the release of defensive lineman Ben Stille, leaving an opportunity for Jenkins on the roster.
Jenkins wasn't signed by the Saints following his rookie minicamp invite, but showed enough through his college career to land a shot in Arizona days before OTAs begin.
The leader in sacks and tackles for loss over the last two seasons finished his three-year career with 107 total tackles, 28 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
Famously, Jenkins was responsible for the safety in the Green Wave's victory over the USC Trojans in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
He was a part of the greatest single-season turnaround in college football history and helped sustain that success for three years of nine-plus wins, the longest streak in program history.
Winners possess many important traits, particularly when they also lead the team in multiple defensive metrics. Jenkins was an anchor for the defensive line and a critical leader off the field in head coach Jon Sumrall's first season.
He joins Dalvin Tomlinson, Calais Campbell and Walter Nolen III as additions to the room already filled by Darius Robinson, Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols.
That is a stacked defensive line unit for Jenkins to compete in.
His NFL dreams will ultimately continue, and hopefully Jenkins makes enough of a splash in OTAs to stick in Arizona.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com