Dread-locked Giants Janoris Jenkins, B.W. Webb forcing double takes

Webb: "My mom, my girlfriend, every time (on TV) get us confused"

11/20/2018, 11:25 PM
Oct 7, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) with an interception as cornerback B.W. Webb (23) looks on and Carolina Panthers offensive guard Trai Turner (70) defends in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan
Oct 7, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) with an interception as cornerback B.W. Webb (23) looks on and Carolina Panthers offensive guard Trai Turner (70) defends in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Giants cornerback tandem Janoris Jenkins and B.W. Webb?

A two-game winning streak for the New York football Giants has some NFL faithful rubbing their eyes in disbelief after the team's 1-7 start, but the pair of victories (on the road against San Francisco 49ers and at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) has the Giants looking at the lighter side of things.

The real double-take, though, for this club comes from a look at the team's secondary - more specifically, the starting cornerback tandem of Jenkins (20) and Webb (23).

They both tip the scales at a similar weight (190 and 188 pounds, respectively) and both boast a similar stature (5-foot-10 and 5-foot-11, respectively). But the biggest and most noticeable similarity has got to be the dreadlocks that cover their heads.

"My mom, my girlfriend, every time (on TV) get us confused," Webb said Tuesday to Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com. "Everybody on the field gets us confused. They don't know who's who. I'm not going to lie. Sometimes I'll look (on film) and say, 'Oh, I thought that was me.' It's crazy."

Jenkins, who is in his third season with the Giants and goes by the stage name of 'Jackrabbit', said, "Having another dread-head next to me makes me feel good. I guess we look alike out there. I noticed that (confusion) a little bit."

Even Webb's mother and girlfriend have been duped, he said. They're not alone.

"When I first got here, they were the same people," rookie linebacker Lorenzo Carter said. "I couldn't tell. They have the same hair. I just had to remember."

With the Giants' trade of cornerback Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints last month, Webb has been thrust into the second starting cornerback role. That move may have created some confusion for the Giants viewing faithful, but one pair of teammates that isn't confused by the similar physiques and hairstyles -- safeties Michael Thomas and Landon Collins.

"I haven't mistaken them, but sometimes I do have to ask myself," Thomas said.

Collins, who is situated between Jenkins and Webb in the locker room, said: "I know them too well. Rabbit [Jenkins] has color in his hair sometimes, but … BDub always has the twist braided together."

Sure, there's a bit of ribbing back and forth in the locker room. And some are even jealous of the sturdy locks, but that's the kind of fun that winning can bring.

"We're back to looking like twins," Webb said. "I'm used to it by now."

Thomas added: "First, let me say I wish I had dreads. I know it takes a lot of maintenance. But I make the bald head look good."



Given all the hubbub in the locker room over competing hairdos, there was likely a modicum of confusion on the field when Webb secured the game-ending interception against the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Dreads or no dreads, the Giants will look to leave the bed head at home when they travel to visit their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

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