Jason Avant had a difficult time growing up. His mother (who he didn’t meet until his freshman year in college) left him when he was a baby and his father was in and out of jail throughout his childhood, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother in a ten person household. To make matters worse Avant grew up on the south side of Chicago, in a poor area well-known for gangs, crime, and violence. Avant was able to stay out of the gangs by spending his time in more productive areas. He played basketball most of his life and volunteered a good deal of his free time at his church. He didn’t begin playing football until his sophomore year in high school when his basketball coach, who also coached football, talked him into joining the team. As a basketball player, Avant averaged 16 points per game as a guard, but he developed into an even better football player. In his career at Carver high he caught 148 passes for 2,150 yards and 37 touchdowns. He added 180 tackles and 23 interceptions as a safety on the defensive side of the ball. By the time his high school days were over, Avant was the school’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. He was considered by many to be one of the top receiver prospects in the country and quickly accepted a scholarship to play football at the University of Michigan. As a true freshman, he saw some action as a reserve receiver and a special teams player. One month into his sophomore season, he earned a spot as a starting receiver and he went on to earn second team all-big ten honors that year. He started every game as a junior before being forced to miss the Rose Bowl with a sprained knee. Going into his senior season, Avant was voted team co-captain by his teammates. He is a two-time second team all-big ten selection and a two-time academic all-big ten team member who maintains a 3.2 grade point average and is very active in community service.

Jason Avant has good size for an NFL receiver. He uses his size to put his body in better position to make the catch and has the strength to outmuscle smaller defensive backs. He is among the best in the nation when it comes to his hands--He does a good job of catching the ball with his hands and he rarely drops a pass. On the occasion that he does drop a big pass, he will be the first to admit his mistake. He isn’t afraid to go over the middle and make a tough catch in traffic. He runs excellent routes and makes sure gets past the sticks on third down. He lacks pure speed to threaten teams deep and he isn’t the most elusive player after the catch. He is a very durable player who has only missed one game due to injury since earning the starting job as a sophomore. Avant will be downgraded by some due to his lack of speed, but he does everything else right. He goes over the middle, makes the big catch on 3rd down, he blocks well, runs good routes, is an excellent team leader and a hard worker who strives for continuous improvement. His ability to become a true #1 receiver in the NFL is questionable, but he has the ability to develop into an excellent possession receiver who will move the chains. He is also the type of person every coach should want on his football team.