BATON ROUGE, La. – Sounds in sports are sometimes underrated. Like the noise you hear when you run so fast that even teammates who have known you for years are amazed.
That was sweet music to LSU linebacker Deion Jones’ ears on Monday at the school’s annual Pro Timing Day.
It was the latest chapter in a storybook finish to Jones’ college career, a sometimes arduous journey that required a lot more patience than most players are usually willing to expend.
Jones was the star of the day Monday, running 40 times of 4.38 and 4.4 to go with a 35.5-inch vertical leap. The blazing 40 was down from the 4.59 he clocked at the NFL Scouting Combine, which is solid for a prospective linebacker.
His times Monday, though?
“I was just shooting for 4.4 because that’s what was on my mind,” Jones said. “I needed that and I didn’t get it at the combine, so it was personal. I just gave it my all, and when I heard all my homeboys’ reactions, I looked at it and was like ,Wow!’ I didn’t expect that.”
Since the start of his senior season, Jones has made a habit of re-establishing the bar on expectations.
But Jones’ size was also a hindrance. When Jones enrolled, he weighed only 196 pounds, which is great for a cornerback or safety but not so great for a player who was bound and determined to man an outside linebacker spot in the SEC.
Gradually. Jones packed on weight and went into the 2015 season at 230 pounds. He measured at 6 feet 0.875 and 221 pounds on Monday.
“I came in really light,” Jones said last fall. “The first day on campus, I came in 196. I can remember it like yesterday going against (former LSU offensive linemen La’el Collins and Elliott Porter) at the first morning practice, and it was not fun when you’re not even 200 pounds.”
Putting on weight was an adjustment in a lot of ways, but clearly it didn’t diminish Jones’ blistering speed.
That was what got him reps as a special-teams demon for three seasons. And it allowed him to hover on the radar of former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis, who never hid his affinity for speed over bulk.
That was fine because playing fast is the only way Jones has known.
“Hair on fire,” Jones said last fall to describe how he plays the game. “That’s the only way we know how to play on defense here, and that’s how I’m always going to play. Relentless effort and playing ball to try to get turnovers. I plan on doing that all day when I step on the field.”
Somewhere along the line, Jones also learned patience. His first three seasons at LSU were a serious test of how long a player is willing to remain in a D-I program but make a minimal impact.
When Jones arrived in Baton Rouge from New Orleans Jesuit, linebacker depth was a luxury and he was part of a loaded freshmen crew at that spot. Eventually, graduation and attrition whittled things down, which finally opened a path for Jones last fall.
As his breakthrough season unfolded, Jones said, “I’ve never been down about not starting, but it definitely makes you a little hungrier because you want to play a big role on defense. Now I feel like it’s a blessing to finally be in the spot. It’s a humbling experience to understand that it takes the mental aspect of the game, too, if you want to play a bigger role. It’s not just about being fast and being physical. You’ve got to listen to coaching and learn what the coaches are teaching.”
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