On the subject of Alabama Crimson Tide football, Barrett Jones is a bit more recognized than younger brother Harrison Jones.
Barrett is a 6-foot-5, 311-pound redshirt junior left tackle who won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman and was a unanimous first-team All-American. Harrison is a 6-4, 248-pound redshirt freshman tight end who has played in eight games this season, making his first career reception with a 5-yarder in the 34-0 defeat of Vanderbilt.
Their father, Rex Jones, played basketball at Alabama under Wimp Sanderson from 1982 to ’84, so it was natural for Barrett and Harrison to develop a rivalry on the court. Barrett claims he never allowed Harrison to dunk over him, so where has Harrison been superior?
“I can definitely bowl better than he can,” Harrison said, “and I can definitely wakeboard better than he can.”
Barrett admits his size factors into the wakeboarding competition.
“My boots aren’t big enough to get in,” he said. “I can’t get my feet in, or else I might challenge him there.”
The brothers attended Evangelical Christian School in the Memphis suburb of Cordova, where Barrett was ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 1 center prospect in the 2008 signing class. Harrison was rated by Rivals.com as the nation’s No. 19 tight end in the 2010 signing class.
Harrison is behind senior Brad Smelley and junior Michael Williams on the depth chart, but Barrett knows his opportunity is coming. Barrett recently decided to return for his senior year and another chance to be with his brother.
“I hate to say this with him sitting beside me, but he’s a better athlete than me,” Barrett said. “I just have to work that much harder to make up for my athletic shortcomings.”