[Baltimore Sun] Morgan State defensive tackle draws inspiration from his cousin, Jerry Jeudy
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For six years, Jordan Jeudy was the baby of his family that included seven siblings. And then came along his brother Darren.
“It was good for a long time – until my little brother came,” Jeudy, a junior defensive tackle for Morgan State football, said with a laugh. “You know how it is. You get all the love until that day. But I did ask for a little brother. Having a little brother, it makes you want to be better in life.”
There is another figure in the family who drives the 6-foot-2, 285-pound Jeudy. His first cousin is Jerry Jeudy, the former University of Alabama wide receiver who was selected 15th overall in the 2020 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos and plays for the Cleveland Browns.
Jordan Jeudy, 20, doesn’t know how many people know of his connection to his cousin.
“Everybody calls me Jeudy, and if you know who that is, then you’ll know we’re related,” he said. “But if you don’t, then I guess you don’t.”
Although he has yet to meet Jerry Jeudy, Bears coach Damon Wilson said he can discern influence he has had on his younger cousin.
“He pretty much conducts himself as a professional,” Wilson said of Jordan Jeudy. “He understands the game because he played football at a high level in high school. So he’s been around guys who played on Sundays. I know that they have a good relationship from a family standpoint. So I’m quite sure all of those things have helped him get to where he is today.”
Raised by Marie St. Louis and Augustin Jeudy in Broward County, Florida, Jordan Jeudy was the family catalyst for trips to area amusement parks, picnics and games of flag football, basketball and dodgeball, according to older sister Raquel Jeudy.
“He always had adventures for us to do, ideas for us to do,” she said. “He’s a smart kid. When he puts his mind to something, he’s a go-getter.”
Bears junior wide receiver Joseph Kennerly Jr. has known Jeudy since they were freshmen at Deerfield Beach High in Deerfield, Florida, and switched from Youngstown State to Morgan State in part because Jeudy chose to go there. Kennerly Jr. said the Jeudy family is a tight-knit group.
“They’re very close,” he said. “They’re like family to me, too. They welcomed me in.”
Since he was six years old, Jordan Jeudy played basketball. But as a 5-foot-10, 250-pound eighth grader, he agreed to try football after constant overtures by Darren and his coaches.
“When Darren started playing, he was like, ‘When are you going to come out to the park?’” Jordan Jeudy said. “And his coaches were trying to get me to come out to the park. So I was like, ‘Why not? If my little brother can do it, why can’t I do it?’”
Jeudy said his mother had concerns about the sport’s physical contact. But she gradually warmed to the idea when he switched from offensive tackle to defensive lineman and began delivering hits instead of absorbing them.
Jordan and Jerry Jeudy grew up together at the home of their grandmother Margaret Bausicot in Coral Springs. Raquel Jeudy said the pair bonded through sports with Jerry Jeudy serving as a mentor for his younger cousin.
“He’s like his little bro,” she said of her brother’s relationship with his cousin. “He does take him places when he does come down. They do hang out. They have their conversations. They don’t really put me in their business, but I do know they hang out and train together in the offseason when they’re both down here.”
Jordan Jeudy said his cousin – who was unavailable for comment – frequently emphasizes investing in the training to be successful in the future. That advice hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
JERRYYYYYY #CLEvsJAX on CBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/YdGLdrfE1D
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 15, 2024
“It’s easy to accept that because I watched him put the work in,” he said. “It’s not like he’s just saying something to be said. If you watch him do something and then you see the results, you’ve got to believe in the process.”
Kennerly Jr. said it’s evident that Jerry Jeudy has influenced Jordan Jeudy.
“Jerry definitely motivates him to go hard and do the right things at all times,” he said. “I’ve seen that in him for sure.”
In his first two seasons with the Bears, Jeudy has made eight tackles in nine career appearances as he has been slowed by a variety of nagging injuries, Wilson said. This fall, he had three tackles in the team’s first two games before being held out of Saturday’s 56-7 romp over Virginia-Lynchburg due to another ailment.
Morgan State assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Antone’ Sewell said Jeudy was hitting his stride this season before last week’s injury.
“He’s been playing a lot more for us this year, providing a physical presence inside for us in the run game and just bringing that energy,” Sewell said. “He hasn’t been a starter for us, but he is a guy that has played a lot of reps for us in the games that he’s been healthy and has provided a spark for us upfront.”
Wilson admitted that he has been surprised that Jeudy hasn’t demanded more playing time, but Jeudy said he doesn’t put any value in complaining.
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“I’ve got to put more work in, and let the work speak for itself,” Jordan Jeudy said. “Talking about wanting to do something isn’t going to do anything. You’ve just got to go out there and do it.”
Members of the Jeudy family have attended Bears games in Baltimore. Raquel Jeudy said everyone is proud of Jordan.
“It’s exciting when we see him,” she said. “Jordan’s achieving his dreams and doing what he needs to do, and he’s doing a great job.”
Darren Jeudy is a freshman wide receiver and defensive back who recently drew comparisons to Jerry Jeudy from Sports Illustrated. Jordan Jeudy said he and his brother are hoping to join their older cousin in the NFL.
“Watching him put the work in to get where he is, he made it feel possible,” he said. “Knowing that we grew up in the same place and same household, it’s like, ‘OK, you put the work in and got to where you’re at. Let’s see if I can put the work in and see how far I can get.’”
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