FAB 3. JONES, ONE OF THE DRAFT’S FEEL-GOOD STORIES, COULD HELP BUCS AT 2 SPOTS
One of the best parts of my job as publisher of PewterReport.com is getting to scout and interview some of the nation’s best draft prospects at the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl. Not only do I get the chance to meet and speak with some of my personal favorites from watching college football, I get to discover some new favorites during the process.

One such favorite is Jackson State defensive end Javancy Jones, who starred at the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. It was my first exposure to the 6-foot-1, 252-pound defensive stud and winner of the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year award.

Jackson State DE Javancy Jones – Photo courtesy of JSU

It was hard not to notice Jones, who was the loudest player at practice. I’m not talking about talking smack to his opponents. This guy was loud, cheering his teammates on and being the first to congratulate them when they made a positive play. That type of attitude and vocal presence quickly made Jones one of the leaders on the East team.

“I’m very passionate about what I do because I know a lot of people that would love to play football, but can’t play it,” Jones said. “So it’s a blessing for me to be able to do what I love to do, and I have fun with it.

“Where I’m from, you don’t have to be a superstar or have a bunch of stats to be a leader. A leader is someone who cares not only about themselves, but everyone around them. My hope for the Shrine Game was not just to better myself, but I was wishing and hoping everyone else was going to get better along the way. It was just natural for me to lead. When I see someone make a good play, we’re going to celebrate as a team and have fun.”

Jones, who hails from Macon, Miss., speaks with a thick, charming Southern accent, and his gentlemanly manners shine through, with every answer to every question starting off with “Yes, sir” or “No, sir.”

Jones turned down the opportunity to attend Duke to stay close to home and play at Jackson State, a school he fell in love with on his visit. Jones was ultra-productive as a student-athlete, maintaining a 3.5 GPA in education while recording 339 tackles, 74.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks and six forced fumbles on defense. Although Jones humbly insists his stats are a little lower than what he actually produced for the Tigers.

“There were a couple of games where the stats weren’t done properly and they didn’t get my stats right,” Jones said. “They’re a little off. It’s all in God’s hands, though. I never really complained about it because I was always so focused on the team, trying to win and trying to be a leader that I never wanted to seem selfish. I wanted to let my team know that the team came first, but I do take pride in TFLs and sacks because it takes the offense out of its comfort zone. Once an offense is out of its comfort zone and it’s second-and-13 instead of second-and-5 and maybe they are a running team that now has to pass, it’s an advantage for us. It’s good to make an opposing offense have to change their game plan.”

Jones was a game-wrecker for opposing offenses, and that type of career got him noticed by NFL scouts, who recommended that he play in the East-West Shrine Game and test his talent against better players from the FBS. Because many teams view him as a pass rushing outside linebacker at the next level due to his size, Jones moved away from the line of scrimmage and exceled in the position switch.

Jackson State DE Javancy Jones – Photo courtesy of JSU

“It was a great experience and it was a position I’ve been wanting to play my whole life to be honest with you,” Jones said. “To be able to play it, I had fun learning it and to be around NFL coaches and other players that are on an NFL-caliber level was a blessing. I needed not just the film work, but also the technique work to make myself better.

“I played Will the most, but I also lined up at Sam and the Mike in the nickel and dime package. My main position was Will, though.”

Jones registered four tackles and a tackle for loss in the East-West Shrine Game, but the underdog aspect isn’t the most interesting part of his story. It’s the fact that he had to overcome the adversity of a great deal of turnover in the defensive coaching staff during his career. Jones played in four different systems for four different defensive coordinators at Jackson State.

“I played in a 4-2-5, I played in a 3-4, I played in a 4-3 and a 3-3-5,” Jones said. “Scouts ask me all the time what my biggest asset is and I tell them it’s my versatility and my ability to adapt. I played in all those schemes and I actually had to learn different positions. I played every position in the front seven when it came down to it.”

Not only did Jones play many positions during his career, he excelled at both defensive end and linebacker.

“James Harrison has always been one of my favorite players,” Jones said. “Von Miller and Khalil Mack, too. I know Khalil Mack recently got All-Pro at two different positions – linebacker and defensive end. I recently got all-conference at two different positions – defensive end and linebacker this year. I try to mold my game after Khalil Mack and those type of players.”

Jones’ Jackson State Career Stats
2016: 82 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 TD catch
2015: 95 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
2014: 108 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble
2013: 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 TD catch

I have Jones going to the Buccaneers as a defensive end-linebacker hybrid in the sixth round of PewterReport.com’s 2017 Bucs’ 7-Round Mock Draft. With the likely departure of Daryl Smith, Tampa Bay’s starting strongside linebacker, the Bucs need a replacement and Jones could battle Devante Bond, last year’s sixth-round pick, for the looming vacancy. In addition to playing that role in base defense, Jones brings some value as a pass-rushing defensive end on third-and-long situations or obvious passing downs.

“Yes, sir,” Jones said. “I lined up at defensive end the majority of my college career. Coaches have told me all the time that I’m a natural pass rusher and I like to get after the quarterback. I take pride in getting to the quarterback and bending to the quarterback. My height and my size actually makes my job a lot easier than if I was taller.”

When I told him of my plan for him to play linebacker on first and second down and defensive end on third down should the Bucs draft him, Jones enthusiastically welcomed that scenario.

Bucs assistant DL coach Paul Spicer – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“That would be the perfect situation for both of us,” Jones said. “As a matter of fact, I talked to the linebackers coach [Mark Duffner] and the D-line coach [Jay Hayes] down there, and the assistant D-line coach, Paul Spicer, actually coached me in college for a short period of time before he came to the Buccaneers. We ran a 3-4 when he was there. I was the Sam linebacker until we got to pass rush situations. Then I became a defensive end.”

With a personal endorsement from Spicer, there is no wonder the Bucs are heavily scouting this kid. Jones is gifted with his play at the line of scrimmage and has a knack for shedding blocks and penetrating the backfield.

“I do a lot of hand work with my trainer from doing regular D-line drills to boxing to make my hand and eye coordination faster,” Jones said. “With me, it’s all about hands. If I can get your hands down and get them off me I get to go straight to the ballcarrier, whether he’s the quarterback or a running back.

“My coach told me all the time that guys (in the NFL) don’t get paid to get blocked. They get paid to get to the ballcarrier. The quicker I get my guy off me, the quicker I can get to the ballcarrier to help my team.”

But Jones’ story gets better. Not only was he a hard-working superstar, he’s the most team-oriented guy you’ll ever meet. The SWAC Defensive Player of the Year also played on all phases of special teams, too.

“Yes, sir,” Jones said. “I played on every special teams and I also played fullback and tight end on offense near the goal line. I caught a couple of touchdowns near the goal line, too.”

“I’m a football player and I’ll do anything it takes to help us win. My coach asked me not to play special teams this year to try to save me for defense, but I told him I wanted to play it all. So I did.”

Just when you think you’ve heard everything that makes you want Jones on your football team, you find out he’s the father of a two-year old daughter named London and a big momma’s boy at heart. Over the summer, Jones’ mother, Kristine, who was diagnosed with a rare condition called Devic’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the optic nerve and the spinal cord, suffered a setback. The disease has advanced now and left her with vision loss and paralysis.

Jones took a few days off from training camp to tend to his mother, but returned to school for his senior season with a heavy heart.

Jackson State DE Javancy Jones – Photo courtesy of JSU

“Through the whole process my mother hasn’t lost her smile or her enthusiasm or her happiness,” Jones said. “At first I was kind of down about it and would question God, but then I started thinking, ‘Why should I be down and sad about it when the person it happened to is happy?’ She’s still smiling. I told myself that if she has to get through this adversity I have to get through it with her.”

Sad that his mother would not be able to see him play any games of his senior year, Jones wrote the names of his mother and daughter on his taped wrists for extra motivation.

“Those are my two hearts – those are my everythings,” Jones said. “Everything I do I do for them. Before each game I get my wrist taped and I make sure I put their names on each wrist. It’s not like I have to be reminded of them to play hard, but I just like looking down and seeing their names. When I’m fatigued or tired or if I’ve got a little nick or bruise, I just look down and say, ‘This is who I’m doing it for. This is who I’ve got to do it for so I’ve got to suck it up and do it.’”

When Jones makes it to the NFL the first thing he’s going to do is help get his mother the best in-home treatment possible as she is currently living in a nursing care facility. Jones dreams of the NFL, and of making life easier on his mother.

Jackson State already made one of Jones’ dreams come true. The athletic department secretly set up and paid for his mother and family to attend the Tigers’ homecoming game. The school moved Jones’ Senior Day ceremony up to homecoming so his wheelchair-bound mother could be there to participate.

“That was a big surprise,” Jones said. “I had just got through talking to the defense pre-game and I see one of our media ladies running up to me full speed telling me to go outside and meet the A.D. at midfield. I had just won athlete student of the week honors, so I’m thinking I’m going to get acknowledged for that. But I saw my mom, and I was like, ‘Oh, man!’ I tried to hold back tears, but the tears just kept flowing. I liked at the sidelines and in the stands and there were tears in everybody’s eyes. My momma came to see me play one last time.

“I don’t remember my stats, but I think it was against Prairie View and I think I had a pretty nice game. I remember my first tackle was on the opening kickoff and it was a hard lick. The crowd went crazy because they saw I was playing even harder with my momma there.”

Jackson State DE Javancy Jones – Photo courtesy of JSU

Bucs defensive end Noah Spence is 6-foot-2, 251 pounds. Jones is an inch shorter and is comfortable playing defensive end at 255 pounds. Tampa Bay would seem like an ideal fit, especially given Spicer’s familiarity with him, and could use a Day 3 selection on Jones, who didn’t receive an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, but will have a pro day on March 23.

The Bucs would love to have a team-first guy that doesn’t care about stats and wants to help his team win anyway he can – even if it’s playing every phase on special teams after already establishing himself as his team’s defensive superstar. I love a guy that loves the game of football and has the extra drive and motivation to take care of his momma and his baby girl.

Get to know the name Javancy Jones. Quarterbacks beware.