STrib: Former Gophers receiver Jeff Jones attempting football comeback

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
60,577
Reaction score
15,653
Points
113
per Joe:

Three years after leaving the Gophers football team, former Minneapolis Washburn standout Jeff Jones is attempting a comeback, this time at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa.

Jones, 23, signed his national letter of intent Wednesday, and Waldorf’s football team announced the news on Twitter. The team plays at the NAIA level.

Jones was one of the highest-rated recruits in Gophers history when he signed with them after earning MVP honors at the Under Armour All-American Game in 2014.

He was academically ineligible that fall and wound up playing in just three games for Minnesota, all in 2015, before transferring to Iowa Western Community College. In May 2016, Jones was charged with felony drug possession after being pulled over in Bloomington with a firearm in the vehicle.

On Wednesday, Jones posted the Waldorf announcement on Twitter, adding, “Prayed for an opportunity and he delivered forever grateful.”

http://www.startribune.com/former-g...pting-football-comeback-at-waldorf/505464222/

Go Gophers!!
 

Not sure if he is in shape or not. After all its been a while since he's been on the field. With a decent line he might have some fun competing again. Waldorf is a great two year school and he may have found a home as to good surroundings. Long ways from his days with the Gophers however as to the competition level.
 

Not sure if he is in shape or not. After all its been a while since he's been on the field. With a decent line he might have some fun competing again. Waldorf is a great two year school and he may have found a home as to good surroundings. Long ways from his days with the Gophers however as to the competition level.

It's a 4 year school.
 




He was academically ineligible that fall and wound up playing in just three games for Minnesota, all in 2015, before transferring to Iowa Western Community College. In May 2016, Jones was charged with felony drug possession after being pulled over in Bloomington with a firearm in the vehicle.


Pretty nice of the Trib to not mention his drug and assault charges in Iowa.....

I hope he can turn it around.
 

Is it just me or does JJ's recruitment seem like it was a decade ago? I can't believe he could've theoretically been a RS SR as recent as last year.
 

Is it just me or does JJ's recruitment seem like it was a decade ago? I can't believe he could've theoretically been a RS SR as recent as last year.

Long time ago, if only because the ultra hype leading up to it was so exhausting.

Like at some point you had to wonder why we didn't hear how awesome he was from the coaches while folks here begged for him to get in the game... something was up.
 

Since when was he a receiver? Sloppy "journalism!"
 






I am a Waldorf grad (1968) when it was a 2 year school operated by the Lutheran Church (ELCA). The ELCA sold it to a "for profit" corporation a few years ago. It's been a 4 year school for a while.
 



OK, you said it had been a 4 year college for 20+ years. That language means like 22, 25, etc. years. Not 50 years.

Anyway, now I see what you're saying about the sale to a for-profit. Clearly Waldorf polices its Wikipedia page to make sure any mention of "for-profit" is purged, as that is, rightfully, looked down upon in higher education.


It was indeed sold to a online, for-profit college in Alabama, back in 2009. Very sorry to hear that: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/06/sale-waldorf
 

I give him credit for sticking with FB and hope he gets his life moving in a positive direction.
 

I looked it up today and learned that Jeff is only a sophomore.
 

There have been some big disappointments and he is among the biggest ones. Even while he was here, it wasn't looking like he was going to be a RB, let alone a top B1G RB. I rank him up there with Sam Maresh among biggest Gopher football personnel bummers of the TCF Bank Stadium era. The JR college WR superstar (Hayo Carpenter) that came here and got caught from behind by a d-lineman is another bust of huge proportions. I suppose it is of no small coincidence that two of these were Brewster recruits.
 

There have been some big disappointments and he is among the biggest ones. Even while he was here, it wasn't looking like he was going to be a RB, let alone a top B1G RB. I rank him up there with Sam Maresh among biggest Gopher football personnel bummers of the TCF Bank Stadium era. The JR college WR superstar (Hayo Carpenter) that came here and got caught from behind by a d-lineman is another bust of huge proportions. I suppose it is of no small coincidence that two of these were Brewster recruits.

At least Sam Maresh had a good reason for not meeting expectations. Heart problems will do that kind of thing to an athlete!
 

I thought there were some grades/eligibility issues that were at the center of the problem leading to him leaving the Gophers. Didn't he end up going to a jr college? If I'm wrong about that, I probably shouldn't have included him here. Medical/injury issues shouldn't be "busts" as far as I'm concerned so in that case I shouldn't have added him here.

update/edit:
https://www.mnfootballhub.com/news_article/show/110967-sam-maresh-gets-a-new-chance-
 
Last edited:

I thought there were some grades/eligibility issues that were at the center of the problem leading to him leaving the Gophers. Didn't he end up going to a jr college? If I'm wrong about that, I probably shouldn't have included him here. Medical/injury issues shouldn't be "busts" as far as I'm concerned so in that case I shouldn't have added him here.

Too lazy to look up, but thought he had a heart issue.
 

There have been some big disappointments and he is among the biggest ones. Even while he was here, it wasn't looking like he was going to be a RB, let alone a top B1G RB. I rank him up there with Sam Maresh among biggest Gopher football personnel bummers of the TCF Bank Stadium era. The JR college WR superstar (Hayo Carpenter) that came here and got caught from behind by a d-lineman is another bust of huge proportions. I suppose it is of no small coincidence that two of these were Brewster recruits.

Well Brew was the only one bringing in four stars, so of course it looks like he had more guys that were massive busts.
 


So that article says that he was a highly rated JUCO LB back in 2011. I wonder what ever happened to him? Did he ever play after JUCO? Anybody know?
 

So that article says that he was a highly rated JUCO LB back in 2011. I wonder what ever happened to him? Did he ever play after JUCO? Anybody know?

I don't know where he is now, but I don't think he ever played football after Iowa Western. I believe he went back to Champlain Park and coached wrestling (his dad was the HS coach there).

During Maresh's time at the U, he had open-heart surgery, a tumor in his calf, got accused of assault and kicked out because of academics. It was a tough run. Some of it was self-inflicted and some of it not.
 


I don't know where he is now, but I don't think he ever played football after Iowa Western. I believe he went back to Champlain Park and coached wrestling (his dad was the HS coach there).

During Maresh's time at the U, he had open-heart surgery, a tumor in his calf, got accused of assault and kicked out because of academics. It was a tough run. Some of it was self-inflicted and some of it not.

The heart surgery and calf tumor were BEFORE his time at the U, not during or after. The assault and academic problems that led to his departure from the U WERE during his time at the U.
 

He was enrolled in at least 3 junior colleges at one point. Iowa Western, Garden Community, and another. Im not sure he ever played a game for any though.
 

The heart surgery and calf tumor were BEFORE his time at the U, not during or after. The assault and academic problems that led to his departure from the U WERE during his time at the U.

Yeah, the open heart surgery happened one month prior to football starting in 2009. He was a member of the football team when the tumor was discovered. He had enrolled in January of 2009 and it was discovered that spring.
 


Yeah, the open heart surgery happened one month prior to football starting in 2009. He was a member of the football team when the tumor was discovered. He had enrolled in January of 2009 and it was discovered that spring.

From the May, 2010 Strib article linked above:

"It's another setback for someone who has already overcome many. Maresh had heart surgery to correct a congenital defect in June of 2008, a process that kept him out of football for that season. He enrolled for the spring semester in 2009 as a "grayshirt,'' meaning he was attending school at his own expense so as not to use up any eligibility, but wasn't yet able to practice with the team.

Still, he had to overcome a calf problem before taking part in his first practice during spring ball in 2009. Maresh was a redshirt last season, so he still has four years of eligibility.
 




Top Bottom