Courtesy Montreal Gazette:

He was a former first-round draft choice of the Boston Red Sox - a guy who was selected ahead of Carlos Beltran, Michael Barrett and Sean Casey.

He could have been earning millions, but not once, Corey Jenkins said, has he regretted his decision to turn in his glove for a football helmet.

“It’s not about the money. But at the same time, I’m not going to say I would play for free,” said Jenkins, attempting to make the Alouettes as a middle-linebacker. “You’ve got to love what you’re doing.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing in Canada or Italy. I would do it regardless of where.”

Jenkins was an 18-year-old right-fielder and power-hitter when he was selected 24th overall by the Red Sox in 1995. He received a tidy signing bonus, the sum of which he won’t disclose. But he used the money to assist his family.

Jenkins spent four years in the minors with Boston and the Chicago White Sox, who eventually traded for him, never advancing beyond Double-A.

“Things were different with the White Sox, and it left a bitter taste,” he said. “I wasn’t where I thought I should be.”

But he was talented and versatile. Jenkins returned home to South Carolina, spending two years at Garden City Community College. Playing quarterback, he was a two-time junior college all-American. He went 22-2 as the school’s starter, leading it to the junior national championship his second season.

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