University of Connecticut Athletics
Stafford Finds Ways To Stand Out
9/30/2022 8:49:00 AM | Football
Sept. 30, 2022
As Jelani Stafford made his way through his football career, he has had to bet on himself even when all odds were stacked against him. As a shorter player in terms of defensive linemen at 6 feet tall, UConn's sophomore defensive tackle has to play with a chip on his shoulder.
"I'm violent. I'm physical. I have a lot of things to make up for in terms of length," Stafford said. "That's my personality when I ball."
At California Area High School in Coal Center, Pa., Stafford had to compete for attention. Even when the spotlight wasn't on him, Stafford gave everything he had on the football field.
"I kind of just made a way," Stafford said. "I played hard. I practiced hard when I was in high school. I worked hard. I used to text thousands of (college) coaches every day, trying to find an opportunity."
Eventually, Stafford's hard work and persistence paid off, landing an opportunity with Youngstown State, where current UConn defensive line coach Kenny McClendon was coaching at the time. After his freshman year, Stafford decided it was time for a new home. Through a connection with McClendon, Stafford thought that Storrs could be his next home.
"Meeting Coach (Jim) Mora was just the icing on the cake," Stafford said. "I knew once I met Coach Mora, met the staff, toured the campus and really delved into the football aspect, that it was the right fit."
When Stafford made the jump from the FCS level at Youngstown State to the FBS level at UConn, he was ready for the challenge at a bigger school. This season, the UConn sophomore has remained a consistent starter on the defensive line for the Huskies in the wake of injuries. In the team's matchup against Syracuse, Stafford had his best game of the season thus far, totaling six tackles and a sack.
Coach Mora has been key for Stafford in improving as a player and contributing to the goals of the Husky Revolution.
"Coach Mora is real," Stafford said. "He's a real human individual. He's not going to feed you garbage. He's not going to hype your head up to try and get you to come here. He's going to give you the real facts. People don't really take the time to feed into that. They want to know what all comes with it. They don't want to know what it is. That was the difference for me personally."
As the UConn football team has suffered numerous injuries to their starting roster, it has become time for everyone to step up. That includes Stafford, even if it meant potentially lining up at running back, a position he once played in high school.
"We have a really great running back room," he said. "We have Robert Burns, Victor Rosa and Devontae Houston. Those guys are going to get the job done. If the opportunity ever does come and they need me to do some short yardage or goal line, I'm all for it. I'm humble enough and I'll go block for Robert Burns. I'll go and make something happen for those guys."
It represents a willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. When UConn players like Cam Edwards and Jordan Morrison were ready to step into positions that they normally wouldn't play, Stafford said it showed grit.
"That just shows resilience," Stafford said. "These guys are willing to work. Our guys are willing to take a chance and do other things to do the best things for the team. It's a team effort. I'm all for that."
Players Mentioned
