All Things RB Jeffrey Jones Thread

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GameDay said:
In the past decade, the Gophers have produced 3 RBs who would all play in the NFL.

Marion Barber- Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears (Pro-Bowler)
Laurence Maroney- New England Patriots, Denver Broncos (Played in Super Bowl)
Gary Russell- Pittsburgh Steelers (Won a Super Bowl)

Jeff Jones- Could be next in line!
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Plus FB TT, I think our RBs called him the snowplow. Philly, I think
 

Do top in-state athletes always leave because of the "defeatist" attitude?

Or

Do fans have a "defeatist" attitude because top in state recruits always leave?

At this point, that reaction has almost been conditioned into long time fans. The Gophers have lost a lot in the last 50 years and often times its in excruciating fashion. Fans have almost develop that attitude as a defense mechanism to guard against getting let down. Some of the said fans are pushed to the limits of sanity after every Gophers loss as can be witnessed on GopherHole. This was excruciatingly evident this year as many fans let themselves get their hopes up during the 4 game win streak only to be crushed at the end of the year.

I wish this werent the case but this team will more than likely need to prove that they are capable of consistently winning, both on the field and in recruiting, before fans will feel confident when a team from the "mighty" SEC swoops in at the last second to try and steal a prized in state recruit.

Until then one can only hope the doom and gloom, the sky is falling group will take a deep breath and step away from the cliff before jumping on their computer.
 

This is meant to be.....

GopherHole Staff said:
FYI, we deleted a number of recent posts in this thread that included some bickering back and forth. Please keep this thread on topic, and in good taste. As we're reminded today, many recruits read and post in these threads. Please keep that in mind.
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In all JJ highlights he is wearing #21. We have 2 on the roster.

Sr. James Gillum and Sr. Brock Vereen.

Mr. Jones....your jersey is ready!!
 

cjcarter8 said:
Do top in-state athletes always leave because of the "defeatist" attitude?

Or

Do fans have a "defeatist" attitude because top in state recruits always leave?
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Obvious answer. I hope everyone is smart enough to understand.
 

xoxoemilyanne said:
Yes it is actually me but I'm just trying to take my time with it but know Minnesota is gunna be in the top 3 I love you guys here!!
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Jeff, if this is you just wanted to say from one former Miller to another it was really fun to watch you play, Jenkins is a good dude he was the D coordinator when I was on the team, hope you pick the school you want to play for. I'll admit at first Levi Bradley sounded a bit shady, but if he's a Washburn grad he's gotta be alright :D Take care and good luck.
P.S I fyou don't mind me asking why did Maynard transfer, I was really looking forward to you two guys being in the same backfield, is he getting any D1 offers?
 


Jeff, I know the glamour of playing D1 football and possibly in the NFL is dancing around your head, but remember the other major reason you will be going to college will be to get an education. You do have the potential to play in the NFL, but remember that many players with your level of talent never make it to the NFL. It can be many reasons, injury, bad breaks, losing the drive, etc... Even if you do make it to the NFL, the average career for a RB is just a few years. I am not saying this to crush your dreams, but to put things into perspective. Football is not the ultimate destination, but only a tool that you can use to fulfill your dreams of having a successful life. Consider what school will be their for you to get your degree in some occupation that you will enjoy after football is finished. Will some "football factory" that looks at you as just another hunk of meat really cares if you get a degree? Just asking you to look at the non-football issues that will have a major factor on your life. Dig into how the schools treats the "star" recruits that don't get a chances to be a star in college. I am not saying that you will not be a tremendous D1 player, but the answer to that star question really shows you how they treat their players.
 



Jeff is a unique talent and seems like a really good young man. He's been above board in all the interviews I've seen or read. If I were an 18 year old making one of the biggest decisions of my life I, too, would explore all options.

In the end, Minnesota & our coaching staff is a great fit for someone with Jeff's set of gifts. The scheme is perfect for him, the offensive line is becoming very good at just the right time and getting better. Finally, the Twin Cities is uniquely able to best reward a home town hero that stays home.

It's a great fit and I know that he will see it. Besides, he'll look great in Maroon & Gold!
 



sounds crazy, but i would rather have jeff jones than any other running back in the country.. and im not kidding at all!
 

ncgo4 said:
Jeff is a unique talent and seems like a really good young man. He's been above board in all the interviews I've seen or read. If I were an 18 year old making one of the biggest decisions of my life I, too, would explore all options.

In the end, Minnesota & our coaching staff is a great fit for someone with Jeff's set of gifts. The scheme is perfect for him, the offensive line is becoming very good at just the right time and getting better. Finally, the Twin Cities is uniquely able to best reward a home town hero that stays home.

It's a great fit and I know that he will see it. Besides, he'll look great in Maroon & Gold!
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+1
 


Really confused on why jeff jones is interested in Iowa State since he wants to go to a program that is going to win.
 



vagopher said:
I agree.
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So what do you want us to do to get these in state players to stay home? Write more positive things on message boards and twitter?

Does anyone else see the wide spectrum of opinions about this board? Some people say this board and Gopher fans in general are way too positive and delusional. Then you have others who say that we're way too negative and have a "satisfied with being average" attitude.
 

GophersInIowa said:
So what do you want us to do to get these in state players to stay home? Write more positive things on message boards and twitter?

Does anyone else see the wide spectrum of opinions about this board? Some people say this board and Gopher fans in general are way too positive and delusional. Then you have others who say that we're way too negative and have a "satisfied with being average" attitude.
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Not really an even handed assessment. I would say the negative posters are the one saying everyone is too positive and delusional. The positive fans are not accepting of "being average". You miss the point. The positive fans are sick of all the negative thinking and acceptance of defeat. Great things only happen when people strive to fulfill their dreams. That comes from a positive attitude and a belief that you can do it. A constant dribble of defeat and criticism disguised as "realism" will never help us become a great program.
 

alchemy2u said:
Not really an even handed assessment. I would say the negative posters are the one saying everyone is too positive and delusional. The positive fans are not accepting of "being average". You miss the point. The positive fans are sick of all the negative thinking and acceptance of defeat. Great things only happen when people strive to fulfill their dreams. That comes from a positive attitude and a belief that you can do it. A constant dribble of defeat and criticism disguised as "realism" will never help us become a great program.
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That's hogwash. You can hope for the best, expect the worst, and still achieve what you hope.

Some people like to express moderation. Others, have learned from experience that being positive at all times leads to delusional thinking, which is even worse than pessimism.

There's nothing wrong with hoping for the best while serving up a healthy dose of reality at the same time.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
That's hogwash. You can hope for the best, expect the worst, and still achieve what you hope.

Some people like to express moderation. Others, have learned from experience that being positive at all times leads to delusional thinking, which is even worse than pessimism.

There's nothing wrong with hoping for the best while serving up a healthy dose of reality at the same time.
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BACK TO THE SUBJECT
 

I believe Jeff is playing basketball for the Millers this year. They take on Patrick Henry tomorrow night (if it's not cancelled due to weather) at 7pm and then play host to Southwest on Friday night.
 

GophersInIowa said:
So what do you want us to do to get these in state players to stay home? Write more positive things on message boards and twitter?

Does anyone else see the wide spectrum of opinions about this board? Some people say this board and Gopher fans in general are way too positive and delusional. Then you have others who say that we're way too negative and have a "satisfied with being average" attitude.
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Recognize that Minnesota can once again become competitive as it was for the first half of it's history. We are the only BCS program in Minnesota and the Dakotas. Even if it's true that this is an area that produces a relatively small number of division 1 players, we still should have an advantage in recruiting those that are within that area. I personally believe, moreover, that talent within our area tends to be undervalued. Consider for example, Ben Lauer - FWAA Freshman All-American, who was lightly recruited out of high school, and Eric Decker, who as I recall was a two star recruit. Minnesota is well respected academically, including the Carlson School, which is among the county's best which combined with the large number of corporate headquartered in the area offers recruits long term career opportunities not available at many other schools. Then there is the attractiveness of the metropolitan area, which enjoys a relatively strong economy and a very good quality of life. We also have a new President in Eric Kale and AD in Norwood Teague who appear committed to making an investment in our sports programs that we haven't seen before. Given the relative wealth of the area, I'm optimistic that they can make that happen. We also have a coaching staff that has succeeded in the past and is beginning to have success on the field. Going forward, I think we have a lot to offer, but I believe that recruits unfamiliar with our program are likely to visit this board to learn more about our program, and I don't think it helps sell them on our program when people are pessimistic about our future. And I think if we are optimistic about the future, we can be successful again.
 



I don't think it would be game over, but congrats to him for getting the offers and attention. It sounds like Jeff Jones wants to be a part of a big turnaround like bringing a Big Ten Championship back to Minnesota. He has said http://www.thedailygopher.com/2014/1/4/5273790/minnesota-football-recruiting-gopher-verbal-jeff-jones-is-a-wanted-man that he wants to be a part of the turn around, and "be one of the first blue-chip players to stay". I think the strong academics from the University of Minnesota combined with his relationship with Coach Kill and the staff will ultimately make him keep his commitment. I hope so at least.
 

MadtownGopher said:
I think that would be game over for us. They've been sending too many RBs to the NFL lately, plus it's Alabama and Nick Saban.
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Alabama has TJ Yeldon and Kenyan Drake for at least one more year, Derrick Henry for at least 2 more years, plus a 5-star RB from Alabama (Bo Scarbrough) already committed in this class. Also, they tend to not distribute carries like a lot of teams do - they pick a workhorse and ride him. I don't know why they'd offer, or why Jones would want to go there if they did. I can understand the allure of playing for a powerful, winning, prestigious program, but Jones is a stud and would likely never/barely even see the field until 2016 at best, because they already/will have even bigger studs on the roster. He would almost certainly be, at best, the 5th-string RB and be behind 3 5-stars and a 4-star, none of whom will be seniors.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Alabama has TJ Yeldon and Kenyan Drake for at least one more year, Derrick Henry for at least 2 more years, plus a 5-star RB from Alabama (Bo Scarbrough) already committed in this class. Also, they tend to not distribute carries like a lot of teams do - they pick a workhorse and ride him. I don't know why they'd offer, or why Jones would want to go there if they did. I can understand the allure of playing for a powerful, winning, prestigious program, but Jones is a stud and would likely never/barely even see the field until 2016 at best, because they already/will have even bigger studs on the roster. He would almost certainly be, at best, the 5th-string RB and be behind 3 5-stars and a 4-star, none of whom will be seniors.
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Interesting, I don't follow Alabama's recruiting so I had no idea they already had a 5-star RB in this class. That does indeed help our case. Kind of surprised Alabama would even go after Jones.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Alabama has TJ Yeldon and Kenyan Drake for at least one more year, Derrick Henry for at least 2 more years, plus a 5-star RB from Alabama (Bo Scarbrough) already committed in this class. Also, they tend to not distribute carries like a lot of teams do - they pick a workhorse and ride him. I don't know why they'd offer, or why Jones would want to go there if they did. I can understand the allure of playing for a powerful, winning, prestigious program, but Jones is a stud and would likely never/barely even see the field until 2016 at best, because they already/will have even bigger studs on the roster. He would almost certainly be, at best, the 5th-string RB and be behind 3 5-stars and a 4-star, none of whom will be seniors.
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Very good points and exactly what I was thinking too.

DP, do you know if Jabril Peppers (Michigan 5 Star) is being recruited as a RB or Safety?
 


dpodoll68 said:
Alabama has TJ Yeldon and Kenyan Drake for at least one more year, Derrick Henry for at least 2 more years, plus a 5-star RB from Alabama (Bo Scarbrough) already committed in this class. Also, they tend to not distribute carries like a lot of teams do - they pick a workhorse and ride him. I don't know why they'd offer, or why Jones would want to go there if they did. I can understand the allure of playing for a powerful, winning, prestigious program, but Jones is a stud and would likely never/barely even see the field until 2016 at best, because they already/will have even bigger studs on the roster. He would almost certainly be, at best, the 5th-string RB and be behind 3 5-stars and a 4-star, none of whom will be seniors.
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I'm sure Jones would go to Alabama with the attitiude of being the best, and would beat out all comers. If he's as good as advertised, he will go anywhere and start. I hope its for the Maroon and Gold. But to continue to say he shouldn't go somewhere because of who is already there, I don't think factors into a player of his caliber's thinking. They feel they are the best and will take on and beat anybody coming against them.
 

kandj said:
I'm sure Jones would go to Alabama with the attitiude of being the best, and would beat out all comers. If he's as good as advertised, he will go anywhere and start. I hope its for the Maroon and Gold. But to continue to say he shouldn't go somewhere because of who is already there, I don't think factors into a player of his caliber's thinking. They feel they are the best and will take on and beat anybody coming against them.
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That's a HUGE risk on his part though. If he doesn't beat out the guys that DP mentioned he's stuck on the bench. Not to mention they will have to compete with the 4 & 5 Star new comers each and every year.
 



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