Long before becoming a record-breaking running back at Slippery Rock University, JayJay Jordan was dominating hardwoods across eastern Pennsylvania.
“I actually grew up playing basketball, but I decided that I wanted to do something different because my brother was playing it at the time,” Jordan said. “I grew up in a pretty competitive sports town, so it was easy to follow along with football.”
A native of Reading, Pa., Jordan was a three-sport athlete at Berks Catholic High School, earning four letters each in football and basketball and two in track and field. Despite his success across multiple sports, college recruiting opportunities were limited.
As a junior, Jordan received offers from Eastern University, Wittenberg University, Clarion University, Alvernia University, Delaware Valley University and Wilkes University, ultimately choosing Wilkes to begin his collegiate career.
“I actually came in as a defensive back at Wilkes, then I moved over to running back because they were light in that area,” Jordan said.
The position change quickly paid dividends. As a freshman, Jordan earned Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year honors after rushing for 549 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry and added 748 yards on kick returns, establishing himself as an immediate contributor to the Colonels offense.
But after that promising first season, Jordan made the move out west.
Despite his successful freshman campaign at Wilkes, Jordan found himself in a limited role during his first season with The Rock. In a crowded running back room featuring Idris Lawrence, Chris D’Or and Quentin Harrison, Jordan received just 11 carries for 34 yards across 14 games.
Going from the focal point of the offense to a reserve was a difficult adjustment, but one that ultimately helped shape his development.
“It’s a learning curve. You come from a program where you’re ‘the guy,’ I know everyone has the same kind of situation when you take the back seat,” Jordan said. “That was one of my hardest years, but I took it on the chin and wasn’t denied.”
Looking back, Jordan recognizes that season as an important turning point in his career.
“It set me up in a way I didn’t expect,” he said. “I knew I could get the job done, but when you put pen to paper, it’s different.”
While his role on the field was limited, Jordan found motivation in the people around him.
“The culture here is so binding, man,” Jordan said. “You come around these guys and everyone just has the same motive and they keep you going even outside of football.”
By the time the 2025 season arrived, Jordan was ready to turn that patience into production.
“I knew I was going to have some success, but I didn’t know what that was going to look like,” Jordan said. “We had a good team to surround ourselves with.”
Jordan made an immediate impact in the season opener against Franklin Pierce University, rushing for 154 yards on 17 carries while adding 33 receiving yards. He surpassed 100 rushing yards in two of the next three games before erupting for 247 yards on the ground against Gannon University.
By the end of the season, Jordan had established himself as one of the nation’s top running backs, finishing with 1,375 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, adding 205 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
His breakout campaign earned him All-America honors from the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Don Hansen Football. He was also named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Offensive Player of the Year and ranked among the nation’s leaders in all-purpose yards and yards per carry.
With those accomplishments came heightened expectations entering the 2026 season. Matching his previous production would be difficult enough, but surpassing it seemed even more unlikely.
Jordan has done both.
Slippery Rock entered the 2026 season coming off a disappointing 6-4 campaign in 2025, the worst regular-season record of head coach Shawn Lutz’s tenure. The team also faced the challenge of replacing its entire offensive line while opening the season against one of the best defense’s in the country in the University of Minnesota Duluth, which entered the matchup ranked No. 12 nationally.
The opener presented an unfamiliar challenge for a team still figuring out its identity.
“We didn’t know what we were going to look like in the fall,” Jordan said. “Then, we came to that game and it was like, ‘All right, time to spot the ball,’ and that’s what we did. We had the confidence.”
Jordan finished with 23 rushing yards on seven carries against Minnesota Duluth, but the quiet performance would not last long.
Against East Stroudsburg University the following week, Jordan exploded for 228 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He followed that performance with another dominant outing against Millersville University, rushing for 142 yards and five touchdowns while accounting for 30 points himself.
“It was like letting the dog out of the cage,” Jordan said.
As the season progressed, Jordan continued to produce, recording 124 total yards against California University of Pennsylvania before rushing for 176 yards against Gannon and 200 against Seton Hill.
Jordan credits much of his success to the offensive line, whose chemistry has developed alongside the team’s growing confidence.
“It’s a trustworthy, funny friendship, man,” Jordan said. “There’s not a moment we’re not joking and playing around, and that’s an exact reflection on how we get things done on Saturdays.”
That chemistry was put to the test when Slippery Rock traveled to Indiana, Pa., to face longtime rival, IUP.
The Rock received the opening kickoff, but an early miscue by Jordan gave IUP possession deep in SRU territory just two plays into the game. For a player accustomed to protecting the football, the moment could have been a difficult one to shake.
Instead, his teammates made sure he never had to face it alone.
“There wasn’t a point in the game where I felt like I couldn’t get it done,” Jordan said. “I came to the sideline and everyone’s lifting me up. I felt like the fumble didn’t even happen. That’s all you can ask from a team, just relying on your brothers to lift you back up.”
Jordan responded with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard run on the drive immediately following the turnover.
His ability to bounce back reflects the confidence he has developed throughout his collegiate career. Having turned the ball over just once during the season, Jordan has become comfortable trusting his instincts and allowing his preparation to take over.
“I think it’s an instinct thing. I can’t really even explain it myself, to be honest,” Jordan said. “There’s holes that aren’t there that I make. It’s kind of crazy when I look back at the film.”
He continued, “I choose to play freely and just rely on my instincts from practice. We work a lot on ball security, and when you can play freely, it’s a whole different ballgame.”
Jordan carried that momentum into the following week’s matchup against Lock Haven University, making his mark on special teams. He became the first player in Slippery Rock program history and the only Division II player in the country this season to return two punts for touchdowns in the same game, taking them 71 and 75 yards to the end zone.
But the milestones extended beyond special teams. Jordan’s three touchdowns against the Bald Eagles brought his season total to 23, breaking Slippery Rock’s single-season record of 21, set by LaMonte Coleman in 1994 and matched by Henry Litwin in 2019.
From Berks Catholic to Wilkes to Slippery Rock, Jordan’s journey has been defined by continual growth. After adjusting to a reduced role earlier in his career, he has developed into one of the most productive players in the country, showcasing the versatility and instincts that have made him a record-breaking threat on offense and special teams.
“I kind of shaped myself into more of a dynamic guy,” Jordan said. “It’s a kid to a man, from freshman year to now.”
Even with the accolades and individual records, Jordan still has ambitions to accomplish more, wanting his name to be remembered alongside the greats who came before him at Slippery Rock, and conversations with former players have helped keep that goal within reach.
“I knew coming to Slippery Rock that I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to be up there in the rafters with the big ones,” Jordan said. “But I talk to a lot of alumni every day, and they keep me going. They keep me motivated to break their own records.”
For Jordan, however, a legacy is about more than rushing yards, touchdowns or awards. He wants to be remembered for the relationships he builds and the person he is away from the field.
“I pride myself on being someone that people can talk to, you know, someone that people can go to for anything,” Jordan said. “If you need a laugh, or if you want to talk on a deeper note, then I’ve got you. I know some of the guys here, I’ll cherish our friendships for years to come.”
He added, “I just want to be known as a good guy. I want to be a good guy that gives back and acknowledges everybody.”
For all the success Jordan has experienced, his favorite part of this season won’t show up on the stat sheets or record books: enjoying the game and the people beside him.
“This is the most fun I’ve had on a football team,” Jordan said. “This is like bringing the spark back to a little kid.”
