Where in the world is Ashton Jeanty? We know Boise State’s superstar running back will be in the NFL next season. However, at this moment, we don’t know which city he’ll be inhabiting. For better or worse, that’s nothing new to Jeanty. He lived in Florida (Jacksonville), Virginia (Chesapeake) and Italy (Naples) as a child before settling in Frisco, Texas, for high school.
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Jeanty posted an impressive 1,843 yards and 43 total touchdowns his senior year at Lone Star High School. This immense production typically attracts attention from the biggest schools in college football. Unfortunately for Jeanty, that wasn’t the case for him. But without that snub, he may not be the high-level NFL prospect we know today.
Jeanty joined former NFL head coach Jon Gruden on Gruden Goes Long during Super Bowl Week. When Gruden asked how he “[ended] up at Boise [State], Jeanty teased he “couldn’t pass up on the blue turf.” But after his remark, he revealed he wasn’t heavily recruited by most of college football’s biggest programs.
“[Those] SEC schools, power-five schools. The big Texas schools, where I was right in the backyard, they kind of overlooked me. They didn’t see the talent… what I could see… that’s [what] drove me and helped me where I’m at today… kind of that underdog story.”
The opportunity to play high school football in the Lone Star State isn’t something Jeanty took for granted. He had his mom “find the best school” for him and his siblings. He considers Frisco to be “the most crucial spot” for his football career. Despite that, it’s not the “coolest place” he has ever lived.
Ashton Jeanty reminisces on time in Italy
Ashton Jeanty’s father, Harry, served as a Chief Petty Officer for the U.S. Navy in Jeanty’s childhood. Harry’s duties are the reason Ashton traversed the globe so frequently at such a young age. Naples, Italy was their home for three years. According to ESPN’s College GameDay, Naples is where Ashton discovered his love for football.
While Naples provided Ashton with his future occupation, his fondness for the gridiron isn’t the only reason he enjoyed his time there. Even in his younger age, he cherished the experience of unique environments. He believes Italy has forged him into the man he is today.
“The Navy took my dad different places, so [he] obviously brought the family with him… I was able to see all of Europe, see different cultures. I learned a lot of different things and I feel [it] helped me grow a lot as a person.”
Jeanty now hopes to become a first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. He is a frequent mock draft selection of the Dallas Cowboys, a franchise headquartered in Frisco. With odds like that, perhaps it wasn’t Jeanty’s destiny to spend his collegiate years in Texas, but his professional ones. And he likely wouldn’t have it any other way.
