Janoris Jenkins wants to be called 'Jackrabbit'

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins made headlines Wednesday, signing a five-year, $62.5-million contract with the New York Giants.

Now that Jenkins has hit the spotlight in "The Big Apple," he wants to be referred to by his nickname, 'Jackrabbit,' a name he's had since his days with the Florida Gators.

“When I first got to (the University of) Florida, my position coach, Vance Bedford, just threw me out there,” Jenkins told Giants' website writer Michael Eisen. “I didn’t have any idea what I was doing, no clue of the plays. I was just moving fast, making plays. He just busted out, ‘Jackrabbit.’ Ever since that day, I stuck with the name Jackrabbit.

"Me being from Pahokee, the muck - where I come from, all we do is chase rabbits; chase rabbits to make money; chase rabbits to play running back or cornerback. I just carried it on as much as possible, because I know people know who I am. But I want people to know where I’m really from, and how different it is from other areas around the world.”

There are few nicknames left in the NFL, but 'Jackrabbit' is a pretty good one, and Jenkins is all on board for it. Hopefully for the Giants, the nickname will motivate him to avoid "being lazy at the end of games".