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January 30, 2004
Jenkins disappointed that son won't attend Super Bowl
By John Delong | JOURNAL REPORTER
HOUSTON
Kris Jenkins has lost the battle.
So now it's time to concentrate on winning the war.
Jenkins, the Carolina Panthers' Pro Bowl defensive tackle, said yesterday that he had dropped efforts to have his son, Kris Jr., flown here for Sunday's Super Bowl XXXVIII.
He vowed to put the dispute behind him quickly, and promised that he wouldn't let the situation affect his play when the Panthers take on the New England Patriots at Reliant Stadium.
"There are some things you have to accept," Jenkins said at the Panthers' final daily media interview session. "Right now, due to certain circumstances, it is going to be more stressful to have my son out here than it would for him to stay at home. So he's not coming.
"As much as I want him to be here, I have to keep on taking care of my business to provide for him. I am the sole provider for him financially, but it is one of those issues at this point where I know I have to worry about the game."
Jenkins found himself in the center of a storm earlier this week when his efforts to fly 2-year-old Kris Jr. to Houston got bogged down in a custody battle. Jenkins doesn't live with his son's mother, and his visitation rights vary from week to week.
Jenkins didn't elaborate on the particulars of why the situation wasn't resolved, but he expressed disappointment over the way things ended. At one point earlier in the week, he said he thought the problem could be resolved so that Kris Jr. could come.
"I had to make a decision," Jenkins said. "It was sad that I had to tell him, but, you know, all I can do now is hope it has a happy ending. It's aggravating, because sometimes you feel you can control things, but some things you can't control. But you've got to accept it. As much as it hurts, this is one of those things you have to accept.
"You know, the world ain't perfect. So you move on."
Jenkins' teammates said they were confident that Jenkins wouldn't allow the situation to affect his play on Sunday night.
"I don't feel like it's affected him any," defensive end Mike Rucker said. "I just think this is another life lesson, something that people deal with all the time, and I think he has handled it well. I haven't seen him bent out of shape or anything. He hasn't done the wrong things. He took every step and did it the right way.
"This won't have any effect on Sunday's game. We know him, and we know when he's poised and cool. And he's cool right now. I don't think that's on his mind at all when he's out there. That's just my opinion, but I don't see anything in the way he's acting to be concerned about."
Jenkins, who had 59 tackles and five sacks during the regular season could be one of the pivotal players of the game.
The general feeling around the Super Bowl this week is that the Panthers' biggest matchup edge is its defensive line against the Patriots' offensive line. If Jenkins, Rucker, Brentson Buckner and Julius Peppers can win the battle in the trenches, stop the run and apply pressure on quarterback Tom Brady, the Panthers' defense could have a big night.
Jenkins said the key for him would be to stay within himself and play his game.
"This is the biggest game to date I've played in my life," he said. "But I can't go out there and try to get to Disney World. I have to go out and play the game Kris Jenkins plays. I know how I play. I know how I prepare, and I know how I need to focus when I go out there. I've got to play my game and count on everyone else to play their game. I've got to believe if we play Carolina Panther football, we'll be fine."
The flap over his son, he said, is over.
"It's just one of those things I've got to accept," Jenkins said. "Hey, you know, hopefully I'll have other things like this in my career - maybe not the Super Bowl, but something down the road where the little man can come down.
"I'm not going to dwell on it, because I know regardless I'm going to continue to see my son, and nobody can take that away from me. I will continue to be a good father to my son. I feel I'm a good father, and that's all that really matters."
• John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com