FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE GRIDDLE, GET TO KNOW JUSTIN RENFROW

JACKSONVILLE, FL- The Jacksonville Sharks continue to build their offensive and defensive line with the addition of former NFL player Justin Renfrow.

Football Career: 

Justin Renfrow (6’6, 310) has been on five different NFL teams including a Super Bowl appearance with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. After his NFL career, Renfrow traveled north and joined Calgary and the Canadian Football League. He spent two years with the Stampeders before signing with the British Columbia Lions (CFL) for one year. Most recently, Renfrow played for the Edmonton Elks in 2021.

Renfrow played college football at the University of Virginia for three years before moving to the University of Miami as a grad transfer. In his senior year at Miami, Renfrow totaled 36 tackles, one forced fumble, two pass breakups, and was named to the ACC All-Academic Team.  

Renfrow was born and raised in Pennsylvania and attended William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia. He played both tight end and defensive line and was listed as the No. 20 player in Pennsylvania by Rivals.com. As a senior, Renfrow was First-Team All-Conference and Second-Team All-City. Despite committing to play defensively in college, he was ranked the No. 7 tight end in the country. 

Personal Life:

Outside of football, Renfrow is a chef who loves to share a recipe or meal with friends. He has his own cooking show called “What’s Cooking JR?” that airs on his YouTube channel. “I first learned to cook breakfast because my mom worked nights as a producer for Good Morning America,” Renfrow said. “ As I grew older, I expanded my arsenal and realized cooking is one of the ultimate ways you show you care about people.” Regardless of what city he is in, Renfrow makes sure to partner with local schools and charities to cook meals for those less fortunate. 

Once Renfrow began playing in the CFL, he created his own athletic apparel brands (Justin Renfrow Apparel/ JR Brand) after being unable to find clothing in his size. Unfortunately, he had to shut down his clothing line. Renfrow said it was a difficult choice, but it was too hard to run both a clothing line and a cooking business.

Philanthropy is a huge part of who Renfrow is and he has partnered with multiple charities and organizations to give back to his local community. In the past, he has cooked 300 meals for Caring for Friends in Philadelphia along with hosting the 2021 Special Olympics Alberta Excel Awards.  

One of the biggest parts of Renfrow’s life is his son who lives in Jacksonville. “The reason I’m coming to the Sharks is because of my son wanting me to play in his city,” Renfrow said. “I’m looking forward to having him at practices and games and sharing this season together.”

Learn More:

To learn more about Justin, follow him on social media 

Instagram     Facebook     Twitter     YouTube

About the Jacksonville Sharks
The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the National Arena League (NAL). The 2019 & 2017 NAL Champions and ArenaBowl XXIV Champions play all their home games at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. Sharks season tickets for the 2023 season are now available. To become a Shark Nation member or for more information please call (904) 621-0700 or visit https://www.jaxsharks.com/shark-nation-memberships Follow the Sharks on Facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter and Instagram @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.