ON THE TEAM THAT GIVEN SO MUCH AND FINISHING THINGS OFF THE RIGHT WAY AT THE END OF THE DAY
IT’S HOW YOU FINISH THINGS OFF
SOMETHING START.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN ONLY 3 HIGH
SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS FROM
OUR AREA WHO HAVE GONE ON TO BE
NAMED AS A HEISMAN TROPHY
FINALIST HIM PEOPLE DID IT 3
TIMES.
DERRICK HENRY AND THIS YEAR
FORMER BULLS QUARTERBACK MAC
JONES
WAS NAMED AS A FINALIST AFTER
LEADING ALABAMA TO THE COLLEGE
FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS. JOAN’S
JOURNEY HAS DEMANDED PATIENTS.
WELL HE PURSUED HIS FOOTBALL
DREAMS. THIS PAST WEEK I SAT
DOWN WITH JONES’S PARENTS AS
POP WARNER PARK RE MAX TEAMS,
ONE CITY AND REGIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS. IT WAS THERE AT
THE MANDARIN ATHLETIC
ASSOCIATION, WE’RE JONES TOOK
HIS FIRST STEPS ON A LONG ROAD
TO FOOTBALL GLORY.
>> I REMEMBER IT BEING TEENY
TINY I BELIEVE DOES HE START
PLAYING HERE ON NEWS,
6 OR 7. HE PLAYED IN ANOTHER
FIELD BEFORE AND THEN CAME HERE
AND THEN HE STAYED ALL THE WAY
THROUGH WE WERE HERE ALMOST
EVERY NIGHT. AND IT WAS WE
SPENT A LOT OF GREAT TIMES A
LOT OF GREAT FRIENDS AND
OF COURSE. HE REALLY ABSOLUTELY
LOVED PLAYING POP WARNER
IT’S STILL REMAINS TO THIS DAY
SOME OF HIS FAVORITE MEMORIES
OF
GROWING UP.
>> JONES LOVE FOR THE GAME WAS
BORN EARLY, ALTHOUGH WE PLAYED
OTHER SPORTS, INCLUDING TENNIS,
THE SPORT, HIS FATHER PLAYED
PROFESSIONALLY. IT WAS EVIDENT
THAT FOOTBALL WAS HIS PASSION.
>> YOU KNOW HE WOULD WATCH
OTHER QUARTERBACKS SO HE’D GO
ON TV. WE’RE GOING TO CAMPS AND
I THINK THE OTHER KIND OF
FACTOR THAT YOU CAN’T
TH IS THAT HE JUST HAD KIND OF
A JOY AND LOVE FOR COMPETITION
AND
HE WAS.
>> SITTING IN THE QUEEN BED
TV 4. LIKE ALL DAY LONG AND I
SAID WHAT’S WRONG ARE YOU SICK
AND
HE SAID NO FOOTBALL A SEASON IS
OVER YOU HAVE TO FIND ME
ANOTHER TEAM TO PLAY ON THERE
HAS TO BE ANOTHER SEASON.
I DON’T WANT IT TO STOP SO
WHETHER IT WAS A FLAG FOOTBALL
OR 7 ON 7 LEAGUE OR EVEN
POP WARNER.
>> JONES FILLED HIS MONTHS WITH
FOOTBALL DREAMING TO BE LIKE
ANOTHER LOCAL
FOOTBALL LEGEND.
>>JENESE HARRIS: I HAD THE
LITTLE WRISTBANDS THAT THEY
WOULD DO THEIR PLAYS ON
AND SO ON ONE
OF BACK PARTS OF THAT THAT CARD
HE DID THAT LITTLE THING TO
HIMSELF AND BIG DEAL T BE LIKE
TIVO AND IT WAS A MESSAGE TO
HIMSELF. SHE COULD LOOK AT IT
AND IT WAS STAY CALM BE LIKED
EPA AND HAS A LITTLE QUOTE
IT’S REALLY.
>> IT’S REALLY CUTE THEIR
HISTORIES CAME TOGETHER AFTER
JONES LED THE CRIMSON TIDE TO
THE SEC TITLE.
>> A GREAT JOB OF REPRESENTING JACKSON BOUGHT HAHA I GOT TO THROW THAT OUT
THERE AND YOU’RE MY FAVORITE
PLAYER GROWING UP IN THEY DID
EVERYTHING RIGHT ALL THE TIME
SO I JUST LEARNED THE
HARD WORK. THE SOW IN TOWN
DOESN’T WORK HARD HAHA I MEAN
HONESTLY I CAN LITERALLY SAY
IT’S FOR ME BECAUSE I LOVE
GROWING UP AND STILL
DO NOW.
>> THOSE PLAYED FOR THE
LEGENDARY CORKY ROGERS AT
BOLLES WHO WAS THE QUARTERBACK
FOR RODGERS FINAL TEAM, ONE
THAT PLAYED IN THE
STATE FINAL. IT WAS THAT BULLS
WERE JONES WAS PAID A VISIT BY
THE MAN WHO WOULD BECOME HIS
COLLEGE COACH. THE KNICKS A BIT
FROM ONE LEGEND TO ANOTHER.
>> WELL HE’S OBVIOUSLY ONE OF
THE GREATEST HIGH SCHOOL
COACHES OF ALL TIME AND IT WAS
A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO PLAY
FOR HIM AND I THOUGHT WE THOUGHT THE SAME THING ABOUT COACH SABAN COACH SABAN MIGHT
GO DOWN AS THE GREATEST
COLLEGIATE FOOTBALL COACH OF
ALL TIME
AND SO THEY HAD A VERY SIMILAR
STYLE WHICH IS KIND OF
INTERESTING AND SO FOR US IT
WAS KIND OF A NATURAL
TRANSITION FOR HIM TO BE ABLE
TO GO FROM ONE TO THE OTHER,
BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES DIDN’T
COME EASILY FOR JONES IN
TUSCALOOSA.
>> WHEN HE ARRIVED ON CAMPUS,
HE WAS BURIED IN THE DEPTH
CHART AT ONE POINT HE FOUND
HIMSELF BEHIND JALEN HURTS
TUA TAGAVAILOA TO HIS BROTHER
AND THE GRANDSON OF ALABAMA
LEGEND BEAR BRYANT TO SAY
THE LEAST THE PROSPECTS OF
PLAYING
LOOK SLIM THEN HURTS
TRANSFERRED TO A LEFT FOR THE
NFL AND HIS BROTHER TRANSFERRED
TO MARYLAND. AND WHEN THE
SEASON BEGAN. JONES FOUND
HIMSELF AS THE STARTER AND HE’S
TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE
OPPORTUNITY.
>> THIS YEAR JONES LED THE
NATION IN QUARTERBACK
EFFICIENCY YARDS PER ATTEMPT
AND COMPLETION PERCENTAGE AND
ONLY KYLE TRASK ONE MORE
TOUCHDOWN PASS IT.
>> HIM A FINALIST FOR COLLEGE
FOOTBALL’S, MOST
PRESTIGIOUS HONOR. WHAT’S NEXT
FOR JONES HE GRADUATED THIS
MONTH WITH HIS MASTER’S DEGREE
IN JUST 3 AND A HALF YEARS.
HE DOES OF ELIGIBILITY
REMAINING, BUT HE’S PROJECTED
AS A POTENTIAL FIRST ROUND PICK
WHICH WOULD ALLOW HIM TO
REALIZE ANOTHER CHILDHOOD
DREAM. ONE MOCK DRAFT EVEN AS
I’M GOING TO THE NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS. I THINK IT’S SUPER
COOL. YEAH.
>> REALLY CHILLY YOU YOU KNOW
WHAT YEAH HE GETS TO THAT LEVEL
I JUST THINK IT’S KIND OF ONE
OF THOSE VISIONS YOU HAVE LIKE
OKAY. THE KID DOES
YOU KNOW THE PLACE FOR CORKY
DOES WELL IN PLACE FOR ALABAMA
IT GOES WELL WITH COACH SABAN
AND I’M THINKING LIKE A
THAT’S PART OF THIS KIND OF
VISION AND STORY SHOULD BE
COACH BELICHECK.
>> THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS OF
COURSE BEFORE BACK WOULD HEAR
HIS NAME CALLED THE NFL DRAFT
BY THE LEAST OF
WHICH BEING THE COLLEGE
FOOTBALL PLAYOFF ALABAMA TAKES
ON NOTRE DAME ON NEW
YEAR’S DAY. IF THEY WIN THEY’LL
FACE EITHER CLEMSON OR OHIO