One would have had to forgive Jordan Jones if the smile on his face Saturday evening didn’t go away any time soon.
He earned it.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga sophomore defensive back had a number of big plays in the 34-27 win over Virginia Military Institute, making the Mocs 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the Southern Conference headed into a crucial matchup at Furman this week.
Jones walked on with the program in 2016 and played in all 11 games, including some time at cornerback as a true freshman. Yet last season he was a spectator, redshirting and having to absorb everything from the sideline.
But this season he’s back on the field making plays, with Saturday’s performance quite possibly his best career game from an impact standpoint. Down 27-21 in the third quarter, the Keydets briefly thought they had converted a fourth-and-1 when Reece Udinski passed to Kris Thornton at the VMI sideline, but as Thornton turned with the ball, Jones came from behind and knocked it out, resulting in an incomplete pass and a change of possession.
In the fourth quarter Jones had a pair of sacks – one on a corner blitz on a fourth-and-2 in UTC territory when he brought Udinski down for a 6-yard loss and another change of possession.
“The way they were attacking us from a pass-game perspective, we thought Jordan was our best option from a coverage standpoint,” UTC coach Tom Arth said afterward. “He did a great job blitzing and a great job coming from the edge.”
Defensive lineman Isaiah Mack, who had three sacks in the game, called Jones “his little honey badger” in reference to former LSU star and current Houston Texans defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who is known for big plays.
“He’s sneaky, but I’m proud of him,” Mack said. “Finally our DBs are getting some, they don’t have to cover as much.”
Jones said he feels “blessed” with his opportunity.
“The coaches gave me the game plan. I just went out and executed it,” he said. “Our mentality is to take everything one day at a time, one practice at a time, one week at a time. As long as we have that mentality, I believe we’ll be able to win out the rest of the season.”
Although it’s not uncommon for a player to redshirt after his first season, it can be frustrating if he had a taste of success. Jones was no exception, having recorded 11 tackles as the 2016 Mocs went 9-4 and advanced to the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. He called last season “humbling,” which is why this season has been special – especially last Saturday.
“It took me a little time to process what happened coming off my first year, when I was on the field more, when I had to sit down last year, but it was a humbling experience that’s working out in my favor now,” he said. “It’s a blessing, and I’m just thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time. One game, one week.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3.