Freeport's Makhai Jinks made sure he didn't miss his Wednesday morning date
Makhai Jinks of Freeport, a Newsday All-Long Island selection, has committed to play football at Stony Brook University. Credit: James Escher
Makhai Jinks couldn’t get to Freeport High School fast enough early Wednesday morning.
He had a date with a fax machine at 7 a.m.
“My coach was rushing me to get to the school,” Jinks said. “He wanted me to be on time to send out my National Letter of Intent.”
Russ Cellan waited for Jinks in the principal’s office to sign his NLI to attend Stony Brook University on a football scholarship.
“It’s such a big moment for an athlete,” Cellan said. “It’s a life changing decision. His film was out there, and Stony Brook came after him along with a few other schools. He liked everything about Stony Brook, especially the focus on education.”
Jinks, a Newsday All-Long Island selection, is good enough to play either side of the ball for the Seawolves. The two-way impact player scored five touchdowns in Freeport’s 42-14 win over Floyd to capture the Long Island Class I title. Yet, the 6-foot, 225-pound halfback that scored 19 touchdowns and averaged 10 yards per carry, will most likely find himself at linebacker for the Seawolves.
“He’s such a great athlete he can play offense or defense,” Cellan said. “It’s up to Stony Brook. He thinks he’ll be a linebacker.”
Jinks said he enjoyed his visit to the campus and said the team welcomed him like family.
“I loved their energy and the family atmosphere,” Jinks said. “The guys on the team are all together and made me feel comfortable. And I like that the coaches focused on the education aspect of the school because that’s important to me.”
Jinks said he will pursue a degree in engineering.
“I went to Stony Brook’s camps and was invited to their junior day,” Jinks said. “I got a sneak peek of the school.”
He liked what he saw.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
