Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson may have called A-back Roddy Jones the “perfect student-athlete” Saturday, but Jones knows better. At least his parents do.
“They’d probably say I’m a procrastinator. I tend to forget things from time to time,” Jones said. “They’d probably say I bully my brothers around, which isn’t true.”
Jones was one of five Yellow Jackets players asked to speak at Tech’s media day, one of many roles he has filled with excellence going back to 2008, when he was a starting A-back as a redshirt freshman. As Tech toils through preseason training with the season opener less than four weeks away, Jones is well aware that he’s making the final turn on his career.
“It’s weird to be the older guy because I remember when I was a freshman looking up to guys like Tashard [Choice] and ‘D-Rich’ [Darryl Richard] and Philip Wheeler,” Jones said. “It’s a little different.”
However unaccustomed he may feel to leadership, he has taken to it. Guard Omoregie Uzzi has been a teammate of Jones’ going back to Chamblee High, where he said the game plan was “just Roddy left, Roddy right, Roddy up the middle.”
“He always goes out there [with a] positive attitude,” Uzzi said. “Every day, he’s yelling, ‘Oh, it’s a great day for football!’”
Tech may require Jones’ leadership more than a typical season. The Yellow Jackets will be one of the younger teams in the ACC, with 10 scholarship seniors and only four of them returning starters. Jones doesn’t mind the role.
“I just try and help guys who need it,” he said.
If he’s not the perfect student-athlete, he’s close. Jones already has earned his management degree and is enrolled in Tech’s MBA program. He was co-president of the Tech student-athlete advisory board last year with defensive end Jason Peters and is the most active community-service volunteer on the team. He was one of 56 FBS (formerly Division I-A) nominees to the AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes volunteerism and community service by college football players.
“Roddy’s the man around here,” Uzzi said. “I’m just trying to be like him.”
Besides his leadership, Tech will need his ball-carrying and blocking. Jones enters his final season with 1,388 rushing yards and a 7.5 yards-per-carry average. Jones and fellow starting A-back Orwin Smith figure to be a central element of Tech’s spread-option offense.
Jones also has played several special-teams spots, including punt returner, which he may reprise. On a roster of players bent on redeeming themselves for Tech’s first losing season since 1994, none may be more inspired than Jones.
“I want to go out and help the young guys learn so they can come out and contribute, and then just do whatever’s asked,” Jones said. “Whether it’s running the ball or blocking, I’m just going to try to help the team win, try and get us back to the Orange Bowl.”
Johnson will count on it.
“You’d love to coach a bunch of Roddy Joneses,” Johnson said. “You’d like to have as many as you can get.”
For one final season, he’ll have to settle for one.
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