This is another one of my favorite pieces that I’ve written so far. I had the opportunity to interview my friend and former teammate at Lehigh University Tyler Jenkins.
Although we only had a year together, Tyler and I became close on and off the court and are still great friends to this day.
His story is a beautiful one and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Let me know what you think!
C: Conroy Baltimore
T: Tyler Jenkins
C: Hey man, how are you doing?
T: Man, I’m doing incredible now family, how about you?
C: That’s great to hear. I’m doing well myself. How’s everything?
T: Well, I’ve had an interesting year.
C: Well let’s get into the interview then, and you can tell me more about it. So, tell me a bit about your high school career.
T: My high school career was interesting because I got to play alongside two NBA level players in Gary Harris and Zak Irvin. I learned a lot from those two and ironically enough my senior season we set the record for most wins after they both graduated. We also never lost a conference game.
C: You got to Lehigh in 2014. Talk about your experience there.
T: Lehigh ended up being a place of growth for me. Coming in as a freshman I wasn’t prepared to play yet and after not really playing for a whole season I spent that summer between my freshman and sophomore year in the gym all day, every day. My sophomore year, I eventually earned a lot more playing time and that was something that I will forever be proud of. Most importantly though, I built relationships that will last a lifetime with my brothers like Kahron Ross, Justin Goldsborough, Devon Carter, Kyle Leufroy, Jesse Chuku and yours truly Conroy Baltimore.
C: While we were at Lehigh, we became close on a personal level through basketball, Dragon Ball Z, and just life in general. But, the most important way was through our strong foundation in God. How has he transformed all facets of your life?
T: My faith has played a really important role in my development as a person and a player. During my time at Lehigh when things weren’t going the way that I envisioned them, I leaned on my understanding that God had a plan for me and this allowed me to stay patient and persistent throughout the whole process. When you believe in something that strongly, he has the power to bring you out of even the most devastating circumstances. He also placed people in my life, like you, that were constantly speaking his message into my life when I was starting to doubt myself. I truly believe that’s why people like you and me who haven’t physically seen each other in years and live thousands of miles away still continue to communicate and maintain a relationship. We share a deeply rooted love for our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. I’m naturally drawn towards people who share the positive light and energy.
T: And that’s a great transition into speaking about my relationship with my pops. He came around when I was about 15 and I had sort of cut ties with my biological father. If it weren’t for him I would’ve never been at Lehigh or at Bellarmine. He actually started as my AAU coach. I started playing for men of the family, which is his AAU program, and after that, he and my mom started dating and I became really close with him. Aside from my family, like my mother and sister, he believed in me more than anyone else did. He constantly pushed me and challenged me to be a better man and a basketball player. I truly believe that God places people in your life at the perfect time and ever since it’s almost as if God uses him as a means of transportation to relay a message whenever I need to hear it. He serves almost as a mouthpiece if you will. I am forever thankful for the impact and influence Derrick has had on me.
C: Well there goes my next question. But, thank you for answering that for me because I know he has had a tremendous impact on your life and when I met him I could see that instantly.
Tyler Jenkins taking a jump shot against the Louisville Cardinals
C: You said that you transferred to Bellarmine University. I heard that it’s one of the top Division II schools in the country. How’s that experience been for you?
T: Transferring to Bellarmine is the best decision I ever made in my life. [Bellarmine] being so family oriented and having the opportunity to play two hours away from home is such a blessing. Knowing that I can look up in the stands and see my family there to support me means a lot. That’s something that was rarely a possibility while I was at Lehigh because it was so far away. I also love playing with my teammates. Everyone is so unselfish. We could care less who scores. We just want to win. Everyone also gives everything they have every day when you grind like that with someone you become very close and I am extremely close with all of my teammates here. I also appreciate the opportunity to play for a coach like Scott Davenport. The way that he runs this program and his mastery of leadership make him so respectable as a coach. He cares more about his players than anyone coach I’ve ever played for, except my pops. The city of Louisville is amazing and the support we get here is unbelievable. Almost every home game is sold out and we put on a show every night. We actually hold the longest active home game winning streak in the NCAA at any level with 57 straight home victories. That’s insane.
C: Wow, that is insane. I couldn’t even imagine the level of focus and commitment that it takes for a streak like that to stay alive. That is truly impressive.
C: Well, you said you had an interesting year. Before the interview started, we briefly caught up and talked about your injuries and diagnosis. How have you been able to get through a tough year mentally, physically, and emotionally because I’m sure it’s tough?
T: Man, only playing in four games in what you initially perceive as your senior year is extremely hard. I dislocated my shoulder and tore my labrum in an exhibition game. I toughed it out and played in our first regular season game and dislocated it again. I sat for 6 games after that and would return for the first 2 conference games, where my body just didn’t feel the same. I got checked out and was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis. It’s an autoimmune system disease that affects how your colon functions. I lost 20lbs in 2 weeks and was in a lot of pain. I was eventually put on Humira, a self-injectable pen, that I take once every 2 weeks to calm my immune system, which was the root of my issue. Since then I have slowly worked myself back into working out and I’ve gained all my weight back. Just yesterday I had surgery on my labrum and I’m set to fully recover by August. Because of the lack of games I played, I will be granted another year of eligibility and since I’m a business major and a senior, Bellarmine will cover my MBA as well. What a blessing in disguise.
C: Wow so you’ll be able to play another year, and Bellarmine is going to cover your MBA. That truly is a blessing in disguise. So what are your goals for the upcoming year on and off the court?
T: Getting my MBA has always been a huge goal of mine and I will be so proud to hold that degree in the year. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m not dismissing the fact that I’m about to graduate with my undergraduate in business in May. But, I have always held myself to a higher standard than what’s expected of me, so a graduate degree really puts me in a much higher demographic in the game of life. My goal for our team next year is a national championship and nothing less. We made a run to the Final Four my first year and this year due to injuries, we fell short in the regional semi-finals. We were 32-4 last year and 29-3 this year. We’re right there; we just need to make that push. Off the court, I just want to continue to grow as a person and become more and more educated. Being a young African-American in this country, I am beating the odds. I will be a 24-year-old with a master’s degree and no debt. That’s setting the standard.
Bellarmine winning the GLVC conference tournament this year
C: And what are your plans after graduation?
T: After I graduate, I really want to pursue a career in coaching. I believe I possess the necessary leadership skills and integrity to run a high-quality program. I also believe that my calling on this earth is to help empower and positively impact young people like my pops did for me. Had he never took the time to take me under his wing I wouldn’t have access to the resources that I do and I wouldn’t be in the situation that I’m in right now. That is the legacy I want to leave when I’m going.
C: Awesome stuff. Now, time for two fun questions! First, since we both love anime, specifically Dragon Ball Z, who do you prefer, Goku or Vegeta?
T: That’s not even a debate. Goku is the man!
C: Second, we know that there’s the ongoing debate about who the GOAT is, Jordan or LeBron. Who is the GOAT to you?
T: To me, Michael Jordan will always be the GOAT because he was able to mentally will his team to championships. But LeBron, statistically, is the best basketball player that’s ever played the game.
C: Thanks again for the interview Tyler. That was beautiful man. I’m glad I was able to get your story.
T: I’m happy to help Conroy. Like I said, we’re family.
Conroy's Cosy Corner 