As a youngster playing for the Eight Mile Giants in Mobile, Jakorian Bennett would sometimes imagine that he was NFL star Terrell Owens. Now Bennett is following the Pro Football Hall of Famer from Alexander City into the NFL.

The Las Vegas Raiders selected the McGill-Toolen alumnus with the 104th pick in the 88th NFL Draft on Saturday.

The Raiders chose the Maryland cornerback after Bennett ran a 4.30-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in March, the second-fastest recorded at the 2023 event and the third-fastest for a player from an Alabama high school or college at the combine this century.

It’s a football future that could hardly have been envisioned for Bennett when he was a too-small high school underclassman with the Yellow Jackets.

McGill-Toolen posted a 39-3 record and went to the AHSAA Class 7A championship game annually during Bennett’s three varsity seasons. But Bennett didn’t join the Yellow Jackets’ starting secondary until his senior season after a growth spurt.

From McGill-Toolen, Bennett went to Hutchinson Community College for two seasons, then played at Maryland for three seasons.

Bennett capped his college career by winning the Most Valuable Player Award at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. In Maryland’s 16-12 victory over North Carolina State on Dec. 22, Bennett’s interception with 2:28 left to play allowed the Terrapins to run out the clock on their win.

Between Maryland and the NFL Scouting Combine, Bennett came home to Mobile play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

A McGill-Toolen alumnus also was chosen in last year’s draft. The Dallas Cowboys selected South Alabama wide receiver Jalen Tolbert at No. 88 in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Other McGill-Toolen alumni who have played in the NFL include Jerry Burch and former Alabama standout D.J. Fluker.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.