1. G a t o r G a m e d a y
Mr. JonesRedshirt junior linebacker is going to be a big star
SEC Champions – 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2008
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By Joshua Lentine
UF Communications
M
ost of us are fortunate enough to have
never broken an ankle or wrist or torn a
ligament in our knee, let alone have any
injury prevent us from doing the thing we love
most.
Over the past four years, redshirt junior line-
backer A.J. Jones has both suffered and recov-
ered from all three of those injuries and still
managed to provide an impact for the Florida
football program.
After the Rivals.com four-star recruit attend-
ed a tryout for the New York Yankees after being
a four-year letterman who batted .360 and hit
12 home runs during his senior year at
Middleton High, he decided that football was
something that he couldn’t live without.
In 2006, he enrolled with the likes of
Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham and
many other current defensive teammates, but
never imagined he would be stricken with
injuries.
“I have been praying for a healthy year,” Jones
admitted. “That’s all I really want. Football has
been my passion since I was little. I’ve always
just wanted to be on the field playing.”
Even with the pressure to perform at a near-
perfect level each week, the Tampa, Fla., native is
still just having fun. During pre-game warm-ups,
he keeps things loose by poking fun at his team-
mates and boasts a smile while soaking in all of
the gameday ambiances around Florida Field.
“I go around like it’s a day of fun,” Jones
claimed. “My goal is to play, have fun and not
overthink. When you play free, you play better.”
Only after touching the Gator head and run-
ning out of the tunnel does Jones flip his switch.
“I’m there to handle business,” he said. “This
year, I told myself that I have to bring more
energy to the field. I see Spikes out there bring-
ing the juice, and it gets me more into the game.
When I’m out there talking noise with everyone
on the field, the atmosphere is great. Then you
hit someone, take them to the ground and the
crowd goes wild. Your teammates congratulate
you, it makes you feel at home in your heart and
want to do it over and over again.”
The coaches’ Freshman All-SEC selection
was a member of the 2007 defense which
caught much flak during the Gators most “sub-
par” season in recent years. At 211 pounds, an
inexperienced Jones surrendered a 30- to 50-
pound disadvantage to opposing linemen. He
had to play most downs, attempting to break
through the line and shut down opposing teams
due to lack of depth. As he grew a little older, a
little wiser and the team depth chart grew,
things would change.
Over the past two seasons, Jones has been
part of the reason that very same core of defend-
ers, now renowned across the country, has
evolved into one of the most dominating
defenses in the nation. He put on weight and
continued to dedicate himself more each day.
“I always feel that I can do a lot better and
constantly work on being relentless in my
effort,” Jones said of his development as a play-
er. “I have learned a lot about the game and have
been recognizing formations much better. I can
assist with play calls and am mentally stronger
than I have been in years past. Those things
make it easier for me to make plays. As strong-
side linebacker, I’m the container of our oppo-
nents’ offenses. Nothing should get past me.”
Players across the board have adopted a simi-
lar attitude and bought into Florida’s system.
Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong created
the Joker package to allow players to utilize their
strength and speed and wreak havoc across the
gridiron. The results of which has been very lit-
tle getting by Jones or his fellow teammates.
Through its first eight games of 2009, the
Florida defense had only allowed six touch-
downs, a national best, and its scoring defense
of 11.0 points per game is second-best national-
ly. The unit’s ability to keep offenses off the field
to that point has also been impressive, an SEC-
best of 13.0 first downs per game and allowing
a third-down conversion roughly once every five
attempts. The Gators also lead the league in
total defense (236.6 yards per game), passing
defense (138.8 ypg) and passing defense effi-
ciency (88.5).
“We are out there playing like we know what
is going on,” Jones acknowledged. “We watch
film as a group and have good relationships on
and off the field. We know that we can lean and
depend on each other. We’ve been together for
a while now, so we can joke and have fun; but
we also know when it’s time to handle our busi-
ness. We don’t stress about it, we go out and
play football. That’s why we’re having so much
success.”
a.j.
jones