Career: He played 44 career games (29 as a starter) as an Eagle, and recorded 182 tackles with 11 1/2 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, a pass broken up, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
2022: Jerome played in and started nine games on the defensive line for the Eagles, being named an All-Big Sky honorable mention. He tallied 39 tackles on the season, including 1 1/2 for loss. He recorded his third-career fumble recovery against Tennessee State (9/3/22), also recording a season-high eight tackles in the 36-29 victory.
2021: Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. Jerome was selected to the Hero Sports All-America Sophomore team, also earning All-Big Sky Conference third team honors after playing in and starting all 13 games for the Eagles. Jerome was in the opposing offense’s backfield all season long, leading EWU in sacks (seven) and tackles for loss (13 1/2). He racked up 61 total tackles, six quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery, and he forced three fumbles. Jerome started the season with seven tackles and two sacks against UNLV on 9/2/21. He had a strip sack, recovering the fumble that he forced. His season-high of eight tackles came in another multi-sack performance against Idaho (10/16/21). He forced his second fumble of the season in that game, also doing so the next week (10/23/21) in a seven-tackle outing against Weber State. In the first round of the FCS Playoffs against Northern Iowa (11/27/21), Jerome recorded four quarterback hurries, as the Eagles held UNI to one touchdown. Jerome was named by Phil Steele Publications as a preseason second team All-Big Sky Conference selection.
2020-21: Jerome earned All-Big Sky Conference honorable mention after starting all seven of Eastern’s games as a defensive tackle. He had 41 tackles to rank third on the team, and had a team-leading three sacks and a pair of quarterback hurries. He made the first start of his career against Idaho (2/27/21) and responded with eight tackles (three of them for loss), a sack and two quarterback hurries. He had two of his sacks versus Cal Poly (3/27/21) when he had a total of seven tackles. He had a career-high nine tackles in the rematch with Idaho (4/10/21).
2019: Played in 10 EWU games and made his season debut versus Washington (8/31/19). Jerome closed the year with 26 tackles, including three for loss with 1 1/2 sacks. He was the team’s defensive player of the week against Cal Poly (11/16/19) when he finished with six tackles, giving him 15 total in two games against the option-oriented Mustang attack. His tackle on a two-point conversion with 4:58 left against Cal Poly (11/16/19) helped preserve EWU’s 42-41 victory. He also had four tackles on two other occasions. In EWU’s three scrimmages in the spring, including the Red-White Game, Jerome had 15 tackles, with three sacks, a forced fumble and a recovery.
2018: Redshirted, but played in four games in accordance with a new NCAA rule that allows student-athletes to play in up to four games and still redshirt. He had 15 tackles, including nine in his first action as an Eagle versus Cal Poly (9/20/18). He also had one against Southern Utah (10/6/18), three versus Idaho (10/27/18) and a pair in the FCS Playoffs against Maine (12/15/18).
HS: Graduated from Monroe HS in 2018. He was named by the
Seattle Times as a “White Chip” selection as one of the top 100 prospects in the state of Washington. He was rated by 247sports.com as a 2-star recruit and the No. 60 prospect in the state of Washington. Rivals.com also rated him as a 2-star recruit. Committed to Eastern in May of 2017. In his 36-game high school career, he had 192 total tackles with 18 1/2 sacks, six forced fumbles, six recoveries and three passes broken up. He was also credited with 36 pancake blocks as an offensive lineman in his final two years in the program. He blocked for 2,000-yard rushers in 2016 (his brother J.J.) and in 2017 (his fellow EWU recruit Isaiah Lewis). Monroe enjoyed its most success in school history in winning 33 games in four seasons, including 10 in 2017. As a senior, he earned All-State honors as an offensive lineman from the
Tacoma News-Tribune, including schools from all classifications. He was also a first team 4A All-State selection as an offensive lineman by
Associated Press. Jerome also earned All-Area honors from the
Everett Herald as an offensive lineman for the second-straight year after earning first team All-Wesco 4A honors. He had 87 tackles as a senior with eight sacks, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. On offense, he helped block for teammate Isaiah Lewis, who rushed for 2,134 yards as Monroe finished 10-2 overall and 6-1 in the 4A Wesco League. The Bearcats beat Puyallup 21-14 in the 4A State Playoffs before falling 56-14 to Sumner in the quarterfinals. As a junior in 2016, Jerome earned All-Area honors from the
Everett Herald as an offensive lineman for the second-straight year after earning first team All-Wesco 4A honors. He had 41 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. He had 28 pancake blocks as he paved the way for his older brother J.J. Jerome to rush for 2,050 yards. Monroe was 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the league, and also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 4A State Playoffs. His team beat Auburn-Riverside 48-28 before falling 58-42 to Sumner in the quarterfinals. Monroe was making its first appearance in the state playoffs in 20 years. He also had 41 tackles as a sophomore with three sacks, and 23 tackles and a sack as a freshman. Monroe had records of 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the Wesco in 2015, and 7-4 and 5-2 in 2014. His high school teammates Isaiah Lewis (’18) and Efton Chism III (’20) are also playing for EWU, as all three players were coached at Monroe by Michael Bumpas.
Personal: Communications studies major at EWU. Born 11/9/1999 in Monroe, Wash., Parents are Gregg Jerome and Dana Davis. Is a first generation college student in his family.
Year |
GP |
TT |
Hi |
S |
TL-Yds |
FF-FR |
PBU |
I-Yds |
2018 |
4 |
15 |
9 |
0 |
0.5-1 |
0-0 |
0 |
0-0 |
2019 |
10 |
26 |
6 |
1.5 |
3-15 |
0-0 |
1 |
0-0 |
2020-21 |
7 |
41 |
9 |
3.0 |
5.5-27 |
0-1 |
0 |
0-0 |
2021 |
13 |
61 |
8 |
7.0 |
13.5-54 |
3-1 |
0 |
0-0 |
2022 |
9 |
39 |
8 |
0 |
1.5-5 |
0-1 |
0 |
0-0 |
Totals |
44 |
182 |
9 |
11.5 |
24-102 |
3-3 |
1 |
0-0 |
QB Hurries: 2019/1; 2020-21/2; 2021/6; Totals/9.