FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jarrick Bernard-Converse was always fascinated by animals as a kid.
Dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses, guinea pigs, cows. You name it and the New York Jets cornerback wanted to learn more.
“I just love animals,” Bernard-Converse said. “Any time one of our dogs got sick, I would be the one who would take it to the vet and stuff like that. I feel like for me, it’s just a natural interest.”
The 24-year-old Bernard-Converse had dual dreams while growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana: He wanted to be a professional football player, making big plays on the field. He also wanted to someday be a veterinarian, caring for sick animals.
“I can’t remember a time I didn’t have a dog,” Bernard-Converse said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “And I’d never seen anybody else take on that path, so I felt like, ‘Yeah, I could do this.’”
A recruiting trip to Oklahoma State caused both of his worlds to collide. Bernard-Converse was visiting the campus to see if the football program was a good fit when he toured the university’s veterinary medical hospital.
“I went over there and that’s when I fell in love with it,” he recalled. “That’s when I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. This is for sure what I want to do.’”
Bernard-Converse enrolled in Oklahoma State’s pre-veterinary animal science program — one of only two athletes pursuing that path. It was also the reason he chose the university over offers from several other schools.
“There weren’t many student-athletes doing it at the time because it’s pretty hard,” he said. “But I wanted to take on that challenge and I feel like I did it. I conquered it.”
Meanwhile, he became a four-year starter for the Cowboys, playing safety his first two seasons and switching to cornerback his final two years.
Little did he know then that the position change would come in handy a few years later in the NFL.
Bernard-Converse graduated from Oklahoma State with a degree in pre-veterinary medicine in December 2021. He then transferred to LSU to use the extra year of football eligibility he received from the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He started seven games at cornerback and two at safety for the Tigers, who routed Purdue in the Citrus Bowl in January 2023. A few months later, on his 23rd birthday — April 29 — he was drafted as a safety in the sixth round by the Jets.
Bernard-Converse missed training camp with a foot injury, but was activated from the physically unable to perform list in the middle of the season and played mostly on special teams.
At the beginning of organized team activities in the spring, Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich approached Bernard-Converse about switching from safety to cornerback to add depth behind starters Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed.
“A guy his size, athleticism, length, speed and all that stuff, we felt like we could give him a chance to earn a corner spot, because it’s hard to find corners,” coach Robert Saleh said of the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Bernard-Converse. “Especially guys that are built like him and athletic like him, so giving him that opportunity to be successful at that position.”
It was another challenge Bernard-Converse embraced.
“It’s definitely been a transition, but I mean, it’s nothing I’ve never done before,” he said. “I feel like it’s going pretty well and each day I’m learning something new. I’m just trying to get better each day.”
He has made several nice plays throughout training camp, including knocking away a would-be touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Garrett Wilson last week.
There have been some learning moments, too, as expected for someone switching spots. But his teammates have been impressed by his development this summer.
“A lot of people are sleeping on him,” rookie cornerback Qwan’tez Stiggers said of Bernard-Converse. “He’s going to have a pretty big year. … JBC is that dude, like, for real.”
Focusing on the details is something with which Bernard-Converse is familiar. It’s crucial on the football field — and in medicine.
“Everything’s about being precise,” he said. “I mean, one wrong move and an animal could die or you could get beat for a touchdown.”
When his playing days are over, Bernard-Converse still plans to attend veterinary school and earn his degree, with the hopes of someday working with large farm animals, such as horses and cows.
“I’ve never been a part of that lifestyle,” he said. “It would be a challenge because it’s something I’ve never done before and I’m sure that’s a lot of work. I mean, there’s a lot of acres on a farm and a lot of animals to take care of.
“So I’m sure it’ll be hard, but it’s nothing I can’t do.”
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