What’s the story with Georgia LB Jordan Jenkins’ deformed pinkie?

MOBILE, Ala. — At Tuesday morning’s Senior Bowl weigh-in, one of the more impressive physiques belonged to that of Georgia LB Jordan Jenkins, who strode across the stage confidently in his 6-2 1/2, 257-pound frame.

Perhaps even more impressive was his wingspan, which officials measured at a stunning 82 1/2 inches — one of the longest in all the 100-plus players measured in Mobile — and his 11-inch hands, which — trust us — are massive.

But we noticed something odd and interesting on the spec sheet handed out to scouts with all the players’ measurements: a note to the side that Jenkins’ pinky finger on his right hand was deformed.

We had to track him down and ask him about it. Jenkins was more than happy to tell the story about what happened at the age of 12 and how he lost the tip of his finger in a freak accident. He removed his glove from his right hand just a few minutes after Wednesday’s South Team practice and began.

“It was like the day after Christmas, the first year [I lived] in Georgia, 2006, and I was stomping down on the garbage. The garbage can slipped out from under me, I fell and hit a rail, and it just cut me. It took it clear off right at the knuckle.”

Uh, wow. And, um, did it hurt? (Dumb question, yeah?)

“When it got cut off, the nerve endings got severed so I didn’t feel anything,” he said. “I just remember running into my Dad’s room screaming, going 110 [mph on the way]. The cops pulled us over but then gave us an escort to the hospital. It was about a 20-, 25-minute drive.”

Oh, and there’s more.

“They had to grind down the bone and stretch the skin back over it,” Jenkins said.

Meanwhile, we were about to pass out. (Thankfully not.)

Once we stopped sweating and hyperventilating, we couldn’t help but think about Jason Pierre-Paul and his accident. Jenkins definitely paid attention to JPP and his road back from losing parts of two fingers in a fireworks accident last July 4 weekend.

“I saw that and thought, shoot, if he can find a way to do it then I definitely can do it as well,” Jenkins said.

Unlike JPP, who lost all of his index finger, Jenkins’ missing pinkie is far less of a hindrance.

“It really doesn’t [affect his play]. My right hand still has stronger grip strength than my left. I can still do everything I think. His was a little more severe than mine,” Jenkins said.

Question Jenkins’ toughness at your own risk. Dude lost a finger is and still going strong. The outside linebacker who played a lot of roles in the Bulldogs’ defense has stood out a few times in two days’ worth of practices. His unique size and skill set, despite not being a dynamic pass rusher, has him earning some real intrigue in scouting circles. Jenkins is almost certain to be off the board by the end of the second round.

He also has a pretty fascinating story, too. One that hasn’t stopped him from chasing his goal of making it to the NFL.

“This won’t stop me,” Jenkins said, holding up his 4 1/2 fingers and looking past them. “I barely even think about it anymore.”

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm