punkin
02-03-2004, 05:30 PM
Early entry
Hokies RB Jones is ready for NFL after abbreviated college career
By Jeff Fedotin
Jan. 31, 2004
Kevin Jones
Virginia Tech fans have grown accustomed to watching a player in a maroon No. 7 jersey fly around the field, eluding tacklers. After QB Michael Vick took his otherworldly skills to the NFL in 2001, No. 7 lived on with RB Kevin Jones, a scintillating athlete who amassed 1,828 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons.
Nevertheless, in 2003, Jones, displaying that same combination of speed and strength, chose to wear No. 25 instead.
While most athletes fight over jerseys or scheme up interesting trades to land their lucky number, Jones switched to No. 25, the high school number of James Johnson, his best friend since the sixth grade, for his junior — and final — collegiate season. Jones dedicated his 2003 season to Johnson, who was killed while serving in the Army.
Such gestures are why Jones’ character have drawn almost as many accolades as his God-given athletic gifts, which earned him first-team All-America honors in 2003 from the Football Writers Association of America.
“The good man above gave him a great start,” said Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, who complimented the skills and work ethic of Jones, 21. “But he’s worked to develop that.”
The highest-ranked recruit ever to attend Virginia Tech, Jones burst on the scene as a freshman in 2001, posting 5.5 yards per carry and a Tech freshman-record 957 yards, a mark that ranked fifth in the Big East that season. Even the best players often see little playing time during their first year. Beamer, who redshirted the incomparable Vick for his first season, told Jones that he would contribute from Day One.
“It didn’t take us long to realize that this was a very, very talented guy,” Beamer said.
Jones played in every game as a true freshman. A knee injury to RB Lee Suggs with four games left in the 2001 season opened the door to a starting job for Jones, and he ran with it, collecting Big East Rookie of the Year honors from coaches.
Jones continued to get better, exploding for 1,494 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2003. He went from an athletic, change-of-pace back in relief of Suggs to a durable, bulldozing back who carried the load all by himself.
“Two years ago, we were able to contain him. I thought he was a good running back,” Syracuse defensive coordinator Chris Rippon said of Jones, who was slowed by a hamstring injury in 2002 and did not play against Syracuse. “Freshman and sophomore years, he had great potential but seemed to be dinged up a lot. … The progression he had from when we saw him as a freshman and then as a sophomore, he’s going right on the track to the improvement we would expect.”
Already possessing the kind of athletic ability that wows NFL scouts, Jones, who has a 41 ½-inch vertical leap, got faster and stronger before the 2003 season, a major reason for his improvement. Through relentless workouts with his father, a personal trainer and former high school All-America basketball player, and eating right, the 6-foot Jones added 20 pounds to an already muscular 209-pound frame. His father also coached him through sprint work, improving his speed, which had been clocked at 10.2 seconds in the 100 meters, 21.2 in the 200 meters and 6.7 in the 60 as a high school sprinter. Most high-profile college athletes train at the school during the offseason under the guidance of the strength coaches. Instead, Jones’ weightlifting and running sessions not only showed his work ethic but also his closeness to his father.
“He’s got a great family, a caring family,” Beamer said. “His family’s put the values in there to make sure he does (everything) right.”
With Jones’ added bulk, Rippon compared him to Titans RB Eddie George. He mauls defenders, using his strength to run over tacklers while also beating them to the corner with his deceptive speed.
“He’s a big kid,” Rippon said. “He’s 100 times faster than you would expect him to be. He has excellent, excellent speed to the outside and excellent breakaway speed. That doesn’t comes across on film until you see him run by people.”
The Orangemen put an eighth man in the box to stop the running ability of both Jones and QB Byron Randall but had little success. After Syracuse had beaten Virginia Tech 50-42 in overtime and 22-14 the last two years, the Hokies pounded them 51-7 this year behind Jones, who rushed the ball 19 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
“When they played us, he took the ball and he’d start inside. And as soon as he could break it out, he’d just run by people,” Rippon said. “It was a prime-time game, and Kevin Jones stepped up. The kid wanted to prove that he’s a premier running back.”
Despite displaying his gamebreaking skills, Jones fumbled against Syracuse. He also coughed it up five times during his sophomore season, which Jones blamed on a lack of focus.
“It was a weakness (in 2002),” Jones said. “I just didn’t concentrate. I was concentrating on making plays and getting out in the open.”
Beamer agrees that Jones focused on making the spectacular play instead of securing the ball, but he says that Jones' added strength will help him get a better grip on the ball. However, Jones has a flaw in the way he holds the ball.
“He carries the ball outside his body. I think it would probably drive any RB coach crazy,” said Rippon, explaining that coaching can correct the problem. “(It) definitely can be fixed. There’s certainly techniques you teach as far as holding the ball close to the body. It’s just a fundamental thing that really has to be instilled in the backs.”
Jones rushed for 3,322 yards and 34 touchdowns and averaged 5.5 yards in his three seasons at Virginia Tech. Most scouts have also predicted success on the next level, projecting him as the 10th to 15th overall pick in the April draft.
“I would be surprised if he’s not a big-league back in the NFL,” Rippon said.
As he prepares to embark on his career in the NFL, Jones describes the fulfillment in pursuing his longtime dream.
“My best moment is getting ready to do what I’ve always wanted to do all my life,” Jones said at the Senior Bowl, three months before the draft. “My best moment is right now.”
Hokies RB Jones is ready for NFL after abbreviated college career
By Jeff Fedotin
Jan. 31, 2004
Kevin Jones
Virginia Tech fans have grown accustomed to watching a player in a maroon No. 7 jersey fly around the field, eluding tacklers. After QB Michael Vick took his otherworldly skills to the NFL in 2001, No. 7 lived on with RB Kevin Jones, a scintillating athlete who amassed 1,828 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons.
Nevertheless, in 2003, Jones, displaying that same combination of speed and strength, chose to wear No. 25 instead.
While most athletes fight over jerseys or scheme up interesting trades to land their lucky number, Jones switched to No. 25, the high school number of James Johnson, his best friend since the sixth grade, for his junior — and final — collegiate season. Jones dedicated his 2003 season to Johnson, who was killed while serving in the Army.
Such gestures are why Jones’ character have drawn almost as many accolades as his God-given athletic gifts, which earned him first-team All-America honors in 2003 from the Football Writers Association of America.
“The good man above gave him a great start,” said Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, who complimented the skills and work ethic of Jones, 21. “But he’s worked to develop that.”
The highest-ranked recruit ever to attend Virginia Tech, Jones burst on the scene as a freshman in 2001, posting 5.5 yards per carry and a Tech freshman-record 957 yards, a mark that ranked fifth in the Big East that season. Even the best players often see little playing time during their first year. Beamer, who redshirted the incomparable Vick for his first season, told Jones that he would contribute from Day One.
“It didn’t take us long to realize that this was a very, very talented guy,” Beamer said.
Jones played in every game as a true freshman. A knee injury to RB Lee Suggs with four games left in the 2001 season opened the door to a starting job for Jones, and he ran with it, collecting Big East Rookie of the Year honors from coaches.
Jones continued to get better, exploding for 1,494 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2003. He went from an athletic, change-of-pace back in relief of Suggs to a durable, bulldozing back who carried the load all by himself.
“Two years ago, we were able to contain him. I thought he was a good running back,” Syracuse defensive coordinator Chris Rippon said of Jones, who was slowed by a hamstring injury in 2002 and did not play against Syracuse. “Freshman and sophomore years, he had great potential but seemed to be dinged up a lot. … The progression he had from when we saw him as a freshman and then as a sophomore, he’s going right on the track to the improvement we would expect.”
Already possessing the kind of athletic ability that wows NFL scouts, Jones, who has a 41 ½-inch vertical leap, got faster and stronger before the 2003 season, a major reason for his improvement. Through relentless workouts with his father, a personal trainer and former high school All-America basketball player, and eating right, the 6-foot Jones added 20 pounds to an already muscular 209-pound frame. His father also coached him through sprint work, improving his speed, which had been clocked at 10.2 seconds in the 100 meters, 21.2 in the 200 meters and 6.7 in the 60 as a high school sprinter. Most high-profile college athletes train at the school during the offseason under the guidance of the strength coaches. Instead, Jones’ weightlifting and running sessions not only showed his work ethic but also his closeness to his father.
“He’s got a great family, a caring family,” Beamer said. “His family’s put the values in there to make sure he does (everything) right.”
With Jones’ added bulk, Rippon compared him to Titans RB Eddie George. He mauls defenders, using his strength to run over tacklers while also beating them to the corner with his deceptive speed.
“He’s a big kid,” Rippon said. “He’s 100 times faster than you would expect him to be. He has excellent, excellent speed to the outside and excellent breakaway speed. That doesn’t comes across on film until you see him run by people.”
The Orangemen put an eighth man in the box to stop the running ability of both Jones and QB Byron Randall but had little success. After Syracuse had beaten Virginia Tech 50-42 in overtime and 22-14 the last two years, the Hokies pounded them 51-7 this year behind Jones, who rushed the ball 19 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
“When they played us, he took the ball and he’d start inside. And as soon as he could break it out, he’d just run by people,” Rippon said. “It was a prime-time game, and Kevin Jones stepped up. The kid wanted to prove that he’s a premier running back.”
Despite displaying his gamebreaking skills, Jones fumbled against Syracuse. He also coughed it up five times during his sophomore season, which Jones blamed on a lack of focus.
“It was a weakness (in 2002),” Jones said. “I just didn’t concentrate. I was concentrating on making plays and getting out in the open.”
Beamer agrees that Jones focused on making the spectacular play instead of securing the ball, but he says that Jones' added strength will help him get a better grip on the ball. However, Jones has a flaw in the way he holds the ball.
“He carries the ball outside his body. I think it would probably drive any RB coach crazy,” said Rippon, explaining that coaching can correct the problem. “(It) definitely can be fixed. There’s certainly techniques you teach as far as holding the ball close to the body. It’s just a fundamental thing that really has to be instilled in the backs.”
Jones rushed for 3,322 yards and 34 touchdowns and averaged 5.5 yards in his three seasons at Virginia Tech. Most scouts have also predicted success on the next level, projecting him as the 10th to 15th overall pick in the April draft.
“I would be surprised if he’s not a big-league back in the NFL,” Rippon said.
As he prepares to embark on his career in the NFL, Jones describes the fulfillment in pursuing his longtime dream.
“My best moment is getting ready to do what I’ve always wanted to do all my life,” Jones said at the Senior Bowl, three months before the draft. “My best moment is right now.”