Fresno State Athletics
Countdown to Kickoff: 19 Days
8/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 13, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - A.J. Jefferson always knew he had the talent to play at a Division I school but in high school the big question for the Bulldog junior was what sport he wanted to focus on. While Jefferson had played football since he was 10, it was the sport of basketball where he had hoped to earn a Division I scholarship in.
"I knew I could play Division I football but I was a basketball fan growing up," Jefferson said. "Basketball was my first love."
Although Jefferson made the varsity football team at West High in Bakersfield as a sophomore, he decided to skip playing football his junior year to focus on basketball. The Bulldog cornerback and kick returner scored 31 points in a game and earned All-League honors while playing at the wing.
Despite the success he had in basketball Jefferson was drawn back to football.
"I was good at basketball but I couldn't play at the Division I level," Jefferson said. "I knew I could play Division I football so I decided to go that way."
That statement proved to be correct as Jefferson and current Bulldog teammate Ryan Matthews helped lead West to the Valley championship in 2005.
As a senior Jefferson had an impressive stat sheet as he had 43 receptions for 901 yards and eight touchdowns for an average of 21 yards a reception. Defensively he had 52 tackles, six interceptions, two blocked punts and six blocked field goals.
As Jefferson racked up the impressive statistics the recruiting letters also started to come.
"I knew I had talent," he said. "I didn't realize how good I was until schools started recruiting me. I have a passion for football now." When it came time to decide which college to attend Jefferson said coming to Fresno State was a no-brainer.
"I wanted to come here because of coach Hill," he said. "It is really like a family here."
Staying in the Valley also meant Jefferson would be able to play in front of his friends and family.
"My mom goes to pretty much every home game," he said. "Everybody I know is here in the Valley. All my friends and family can come to the games. Having the V on our helmet means a lot to our team because most of us are Valley kids."
The pride of playing for Fresno State was evident last year as he led the nation in kickoff return average at 35.8 yards a return. He was able to run back two touchdowns with the longest being a 98-yard return at Hawai'i. His first kickoff return for a touchdown was an 88-yard return against Utah State in the middle of the third quarter.
After catching the nation by surprise last year, Jefferson will be no secret to the Bulldog opponents this year.
"It is always important to know when a player is the hunted," Fresno State special teams coach John Baxter said. "A.J. was a nice story last year. He is a great athlete and an explosive player but he is also the cover boy of everybody's scouting report now. He has to work at continuing to improve. I am not going to compare A.J. to Devin Hester but Devin Hester is the cover boy and he still returns kicks.
"He is as fast as he needs to be. Returning kicks is an instinctive thing. There is a certain amount that you don't coach. I just think he has to continue to work hard, stay focused and do the little things well."
Along with returning kicks Jefferson is also expected to play a big role for the Bulldog defensively at cornerback as he is slated to start this year.
"I have a reputation to uphold as far as kick returns go," Jefferson said. "As far as playing corner, I am going to come back this year and try and be injury free."
In Jefferson's final two years at Fresno State his goals on the football field is to win the WAC. Off the field he wants to graduate in four years in Public Relations.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The first Big Ten team will travel to the Valley as the `Dogs take on Wisconsin in the home opener on Saturday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN2. Be sure to reserve your seat for the Wisconsin game by purchasing a season ticket, family plan or 3-game mini plan for just $99. In the month of August, get your official Wisconsin game day t-shirt at the Bulldog Shop for only $10 with any purchase. To purchase tickets, click on the tickets icon at the top of this page, call the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS, or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
