After an unscheduled year away from football, Jalen Thompson said he is determined to never again take for granted the sport he has been playing since he was five years old.
Thompson sat out the 2017 season while academically ineligible, but learned prior to spring practice that he would be able to suit up this fall for South Alabama. After being benched for what amounted to a redshirt season, the former St. Paul's Episcopal School standout is once again battling for a starting cornerback job with the Jaguars.
"It's a blessing," Thompson said. "My first two years here, I think I took it for granted.