Vegas bowl super for Hogs' Jones

BOB HOLT
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- J.J. Jones' last game for Arkansas will be his first bowl game.
"I'm just as excited as I can be," said Jones, a fifth-year senior linebacker from Magnolia. "I finally get to play in a bowl game."
Arkansas (6-5), which is playing UNLV in Thursday's Las Vegas Bowl, is making its third consecutive bowl appearance. But Jones missed the Citrus Bowl against Michigan two years ago because of strained back and neck muscles he suffered in a car accident and missed last year's Cotton Bowl against Texas because he redshirted after breaking a bone in his left wrist early in the season.
The Las Vegas Bowl might not be a New Year's Day game like the Citrus Bowl and Cotton Bowl, but Jones isn't complaining.
"After the season we had, I'm just happy to be playing in a bowl," he said.
While Jones stayed healthy this season, 25 teammates have missed games because of injuries and it looked like the Razorbacks wouldn't make a bowl game when their record fell to 4-5 after a 63-20 loss at Tennessee.
But, led by a resurgent defense, Arkansas won its last two games, beating Mississippi State 17-10 in overtime and LSU 14-3 to become bowl eligible.
"I knew that we weren't that bad of a team," Jones said. "It's just that everything that could go wrong in that Tennessee game went wrong for us.
"After that we came together as a team and played our hearts out. Winning at Mississippi State really turned everything around for us."
Jones made sure the Razorbacks held on to beat the Bulldogs when he and linebacker Quinton Caver combined to tackle tailback Dontae Walker for no gain on a fourth-and-goal play from the Arkansas 1 on the game's last play.
Linebackers coach Bobby Allen said it was one of several big plays Jones made against Mississippi State and LSU to help Arkansas get into a bowl.
"J.J. always has been a good player, but he's played the best football of his career these last two games," Allen said. "It just seems like he's been seeing the entire field more clearly and is doing everything faster and extremely well.
"It's obvious he's taken his game to another level now."
Jones is third on the team with 64 tackles. He said he might have been putting too much pressure on himself earlier in the season.
"Coming back after missing last year, I felt I had something to prove and maybe was feeling extra pressure to make plays," he said. "Or maybe I just had to knock the rust off.
"I'm relaxing now and playing football and having fun, and I feel I'm playing better than I ever have. It feels good to be finishing up strong."
Allen said it's fitting that Jones is finishing his college career in a bowl game.
"I couldn't be happier for an individual, because I know how hard J.J. has worked and how tough it's been on him not to get to play in the bowl games the last two years," Allen said. "It would have been a real shame for him to end his career here without having an opportunity to play in bowl game, but J.J. and the other seniors made sure this team finished up the right way despite having a lot of adversity."
Jones will stay busy after the bowl game when he returns to Fayetteville for the spring semester. He needs four more hours to complete his Kinesiology degree in May and will marry his fiance, former Southern Arkansas basketball player Paula Daniels, in June.
Between finishing classes and making wedding plans, Jones will be working out hard with the goal of making an NFL roster as either a draft choice or free agent.
After his playing days are over Jones said he would like to be a strength and conditioning coach, but he hopes the Las Vegas Bowl won't be his last game.
"I want to be playing in the NFL next year," Jones said. "I feel that given a chance, I can make it.
"It if doesn't work out, I'll still have my degree to fall back on."
Jones said that in some ways it's hard to believe his college career will be over in a week.
"I'm going to miss playing with these guys, but it's about time to move on," he said. "Real life is fixing to hit now.
"I'm taking on a lot of responsibilities, but I feel I'm ready for it."

This article was published on Friday, December 15, 2000

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