Rookie cornerbacks impressive in first game

Six Southeast Missouri State defensive players made their first start for the Redhawks during Thursday's season opener at Central Michigan.

Cornerbacks Cantrell Andrews and Reggie Jennings were the only two among that group who had never previously played in a Southeast game.

You sure couldn't tell it by the way they performed.

Andrews and Jennings were among Southeast's defensive stalwarts, helping limit Central Michigan's potent passing attack and playing the run well as the Redhawks put a major scare in the Football Bowl Subdivision Chippewas before losing 38-27.

Andrew, a junior and local product from Central High School, was credited with six tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Reggie Jennings

Cantrell Andrews

Jennings, a sophomore from the Chicago suburb of Westchester, Ill., tied for the team lead with 10 tackles and paced the Redhawks with two tackles for loss. He also was credited with one pass breakup.

"I thought they did a very good job for their first time," said Southeast coach Tony Samuel, whose squad plays its home opener at 6 p.m. Saturday against Division II Mars Hill College. "They held up well. They've both made great strides."

Andrews and Jennings did not come to Southeast right out of high school but the stories of how they wound up playing for the Redhawks are fairly similar.

Both honed their craft for a while at smaller colleges while planning all along to eventually join the Redhawks.

And both initially came to Southeast as walk-ons but have since been put on scholarship.

Andrews, a 2009 Central graduate, was recruited by Southeast in high school but he said he fell one math credit short of qualifying for Division I eligibility.

"I wanted to come here, but I had to go away for a while," said Andrews, who made his mark primarily on offense at Central, rushing for more than 1,100 yards as a senior tailback in 2008.

So Andrews headed off to NAIA Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., where he redshirted his first season in 2009 before playing cornerback in 2010.

Andrews transferred to Southeast last year and practiced with the Redhawks but could not participate in games under NCAA transfer rules. Last week's season opener was his first contest in nearly two years.

"It was very exciting. It's been a while since I played," Andrews said. "It was good to get that first game under my belt."

Andrews believes he had a strong performance against Central Michigan but knows he can do a lot better.

"I felt I played pretty good, but I know I made mistakes," he said.

Getting to play his final two college seasons in his home town, in front of family and friends, is something Andrews envisioned for quite a while, even during the two years he spent away from Cape Girardeau.

"There's nothing like it, to go away and come back," he said. "I love it here. ... to have fans tell me they're excited to see me play."

Andrews, a 5-foot-9, 180-pounder, is also excited that he's no longer a walk-on.

"It helps Mom and Dad out," he said with a smile.

Andrews, while disappointed that Southeast could not hold on to a 14-point first-half lead against Central Michigan, believes the Redhawks showed they are capable of having a strong season.

"We should have won that game, but I'm excited about how we played," Andrews said.

Jennings' reason for not attending Southeast right away had nothing to do with academics. He simply felt he needed to improve as a player before trying his hand at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

"They [Southeast] had my major, criminal justice, and I had sent them film," Jennings said. "They said I could come here as a preferred walk-on, but I felt I needed to get a little better first."

So Jennings went to Division II Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., where as a true freshman in 2010 he was second on the team with 84 tackles and led the squad with two fumble recoveries while also intercepting one pass.

That impressive rookie campaign made Jennings believe he was ready to play for the Redhawks.

Jennings, like Andrews, transferred to Southeast last year and practiced with the Redhawks but could not participate in games under NCAA transfer rules.

So the Central Michigan contest was also Jennings' first game in almost two years.

"It was exciting. It was a long time. Last year I just practiced, sat back and learned," said Jennings, a 5-11, 185-pounder. "I wasn't nervous. I just felt like I had to give my best effort."

Jennings, like Andrews, thought he performed well but that was of little consolation since the Redhawks lost.

"I did all right, but my stats don't matter if we don't win," he said.