From Dallas to Down Under, Jones displays Spartan pride and skill.
Photo by Anna Becker
Between playing football, participating in DECA, and working at Coldstone, Junior John Jones has displayed vast skill and dedication during his three years at TJ. After being accepted in the 2010 Down Under Sports, this dedication has proved to be laudable.
In July 2010, Jones will be flying down to Australia for a rare opportunity: the chance to play football with some of the top high school athletes in Colorado. “The trip’s two weeks. The first ten days are spent practicing in preparation for the two games that we’ll play,” said Jones. “There’ll be four teams overall.” After the competition, the winning teams will be awarded with gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Soon after the vigorous competition, tranquil vacation awaits. For the last four days, the teams will fly to Hawaii for some quality downtime before returning home. “It’ll just be vacation; no football,” laughed Jones. “That’ll be good.”
This prestigious opportunity is both rare and impressive, demonstrating Jones’ immense talent as a top TJ athlete. “They really only look at the top players,” said Jones. “I’m not entirely sure how I was picked, but it was great when they mailed the invitation to me.”
Jones’s proclivity for football has been in motion since early childhood. “I really look up to my dad. He played pro football when I was a kid,” said Jones. “He played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Broncos, and even won a Super bowl with the Cowboys. I was only four when this happened, but it was still pretty cool,” laughed Jones. Because of his dad’s involvement with the Cowboys, Jones spent some of his childhood in Texas.
Despite the love for football being in the family gene pool, Jones didn’t start playing the game until 7th grade. “Even then it wasn’t really football. We only played six games,” said Jones. “People are usually surprised when I say I’ve only been really playing since freshman year.” Following a mere one year of playing TJ football, Jones made varsity his sophomore year, and has maintained his position as left guard ever since.
After three years of accomplishment in TJ football, it’s no surprise that Jones is very enthusiastic about his team. “You get to meet a lot of great people you wouldn’t normally talk to or meet,” said Jones. “It’s like a huge family.”
According to Assistant Football Coach Matt Nicolo, Jones performs a hefty leadership role within the team. “John’s one of the quality guys that we love getting back year after year,” said Nicolo. “We’re looking for him to be a team leader because of what he brings on and off the field. He’s an excellent student, and a great role model for other football players.”
With two AP classes in his demanding schedule, Jones has certainly exhibited his dedication as a good student. “[Jones] is definitely a fun guy; he has a magnetic fun personality, and he has the ability to do well,” said AP Government Teacher Jonathon Poole. “It’s great to see him achieve [Down Under Sports].”
As well as having a passion for football, Jones also enjoys participating in DECA. “Marketing is definitely my favorite class,” said Jones. “It’s my first year in it, but I’m enjoying it a lot.”
Along with football and marketing, Jones shows fervor for other activities common to the usual Spartan, such as friends, food, and music. “I like all types of music, except for country,” said Jones. “I have no idea who my favorite artist is… man, there’s so many,” said Jones as he scratched his head and rummaged through his internal music library. “I really like DMX.”
Ultimately, Jones’s dedication in school and aspiration towards football propels him through his junior year at TJ. “Football’s a really fun sport. Hitting people is fun,” laughed Jones. “Football really teaches you leadership, teamwork, and even following orders. These are all skills that are really needed later in life.”
