FREEPORT, N.Y. — Makhai Jinks' father won a Long Island Championship with Freeport High School two decades ago while playing alongside future NFL Pro Bowler D'Brickashaw Ferguson.
Jinks then matched his father's accomplishment in 2018. And he one-upped it this past season.
Jinks, currently a senior at Freeport High, won Long Island Championships each of the past two years with the Red Devils. He also earned the Piner Award as Nassau County's top linebacker and was named all-state, all-Long Island and all-county while captaining undefeated Freeport in 2019.
The 6-foot, 215-pound Jinks is now poised to join Stony Brook football next academic year. He officially signed with the Seawolves on Feb. 5.
"Makhai was one of the more dominant, all-around players on Long Island this past season," Stony Brook coordinator of player personnel
Patrick Hatch said. "We put a lot of value on guys who impact the game on both sides of the ball. Few did it to the level Makhai did. We are thrilled to keep one of Long Island's best home at Stony Brook."
Jinks' favorite performance this past season came in the Nassau County Championship game against Farmingdale. Also a running back for the Red Devils, Jinks had 18 carries for 169 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-7 victory.
Jinks had been involved in a car accident the day before the game and initially had been concerned he would not be able to participate.
"I didn't think I was going to be able to play that game," he said. "But I was fine."
Once he arrives on campus at Stony Brook, Jinks will have a familiar face on the Stony Brook football team to serve as a mentor. He played alongside current Seawolves defensive back
Jordan Jackson at Freeport.
Jackson redshirted this past season as a freshman.
"We've played together since we were four years old," Jinks said. "It's a bonus knowing somebody who goes to the school and has been through a year, so they know what the experience is like and what to do and not to do your freshman year."
Meanwhile, Jinks' father Travis was part of Freeport's 2000 team that defeated Commack, 20-19, in overtime for the Long Island Championship. Also on that team was Ferguson, who went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets.
Jinks finally met Ferguson at the 2018 Long Island Championship game, when the former NFL standout — who had been close with Jenks' father in high school — attended the title-winning game.
Jinks then won a second straight championship this past season — 42-14 over Floyd at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
Jinks is now ready to call that stadium home as a member of the Seawolves.
