Fifth-year senior rebounds from criticism, becomes key cog for Irish
By TIM CASEY
Assistant Sports Editor
Defensive end Tony Weaver delivered a comical message to the "other" linemen on Friday afternoon.
"It's probably a bad thing to say, but I don't respect [offensive] linemen at all," Weaver said. "To me, I think they're all wannabe athletes. My whole goal, when it's one-on-one, is to beat them. I know there are some great [offensive] linemen out there, but they're probably all ex-[defensive] linemen."
When fifth-year senior Jim Jones heard about Weaver's remark, the defensive lineman-turned-offensive lineman laughed and offered a response.
"No comment," said Jones, who made the switch to offense in 1998.
As Notre Dame's starting guard for the past two years, Jones has received scant media attention. But Jones is no stranger to the normal heckling from coaches and teammates.
Including Lou Holtz.
Holtz scolded the then-240 pound freshman in 1996 and said "Look, son. I know you're not a player and you're never going to be a player. But can't you just act like a player?"
What effect that had on Jones remains unclear.
"That was something that stuck with him for five years," Davie said. "And he just wanted to prove that he was a player."
Said Jones: "He [Holtz] said that stuff to everyone. It wasn't a big deal. He picked on Jarious Jackson so much."
But Holtz's criticism never got him down for one reason: "I'm my biggest critic," Jones said. "That's for sure."
And he has been since he first started playing football in seventh grade. Back then, the Chicago Ridge, Ill. native admired two teams: Notre Dame and "Da Bears."
"I guess you could say I'm one of the SuperFans," Jones said. "I know every starter on the '85 team. I know every word to the Super Bowl Shuffle. I loved the Bears."
He also loved the game. By his senior season, the self-described "chubby" junior high student had evolved into a first-team All State pick and attracted major college scouts to Richards High School. From the time Holtz and his assistants showed interest, Jones may have been their easiest sell.
"They didn't really have to do a whole lot of convincing to me," Jones said.
Like any freshman, Jones envisioned competing in front of the Notre Dame Stadium crowd. Instead, he played on the scout team.
Then, just three months into his college career, Jones faced another change, when Davie replaced Holtz.
"For a guy that weighs 90 pounds, [Holtz] can really scare you no matter how big you are," Jones said. "Despite his size, he was an intimidating guy."
The more laid-back, mellow Davie kept Jones at defensive end for the 1997 season. But after he logged only six minutes of playing time as a sophomore, Jones changed to the other side of the ball during the preparation for the Independence Bowl.
The coaches gave him one order.
"When they told me I had to eat, I was excited," Jones said. "That was fun. I could eat and not even worry about it."
Jones spent the spring and the fall of 1998 learning the new position. He credits fellow Irish teammates and current NFL players Mike Rosenthal, Jerry Wisne and Luke Petitgout for making the transition easier.
Besides undertaking new eating habits, Jones also dedicated himself to weightlifting. He bulked up to more than 300 pounds and increased his maximum bench press to 505 pounds.
"It definitely correlates onto the football field," Jones said. "Don't get me wrong; you can't just be a weightlifter and be a good football player. You have to be able to run; you have to be a good athlete; you have to have good technique. But it helps."
When Wisne graduated, Jones took over the starting left guard position in the spring of 1999. During one of the most troubling years in Notre Dame football history, Jones started 10 games but struggled to adjust. Although he had a NFL body, Jones was still a newcomer to arguably the toughest position in football.
"It used to be the Jones factor up front last year," offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers said. "He was new to the position. Consequently, there were a lot of mental errors."
Said Jones: "Things change in a second out there. You think you're blocking this person then the defense makes a shift and it changes the whole scheme."
The 5-7 season, NCAA major violation and supposed lack of talent led many preseason publications to not include the Irish in the top 25. Plus, with a "brutal" September, many predicted Notre Dame would not qualify for a bowl for the second-straight season.
"I don't get into all that media stuff," Jones said. "Half these guys never even played football before and they're going to say who's good and who's not. But I understand it's the nature of sports. You just can't believe everything you hear."
Jones also apparently did not listen to the critics of the 1999 offensive line, either. He has started every game again this year and, according to Jones, in two years he has yet to allow a defensive lineman to even touch the quarterback in passing situations.
"Jim Jones has made drastic improvements since last year," running back Tony Fisher said. "Jim Jones and [senior right guard] Mike Gandy are our two best lineman."
For many, this season has been full of memories. Jones' lasting vision will be his feeling following the final home game, a 28-16 victory over Boston College. He ripped up a piece of the Notre Dame Stadium grass, held onto it for awhile and then stayed on the field, reflecting on his five years.
"Usually when I'm done, I run into the locker room and celebrate with my team mates," Jones said. "It was hard for me to do after that game. It was really difficult.
"As I walk through there [the Stadium] sometimes I just look at the field and I'm like `wow, I'm never going to play there again.'"
But there remains one more contest. The New Year's Day game against Oregon State provides Jones with another game, another opportunity to create more memories.
"Before I came here I never would have thought that we wouldn't have been in a BCS game my first four years," Jones said. "It gives us an opportunity to leave the right way."
After the game, Jones, who graduated last May with a degree in sociology, will leave school to prepare for the NFL draft. In addition to the 505-pound bench press, Jones also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.9 seconds in July and bench pressed 225 pounds 40 times in succession. Combine the on-field improvement with the aforementioned physical statistics and Rogers sees Jones as a legitimate NFL prospect.
The SuperFan could become a Chicago Bear.
"That would be great," Jones said. "But I'll take whatever. I'm not going to complain."
Not bad for a "wannabe athlete."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, December 12, 2000
