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This Felix is one fast cat
May 5, 2008 8:39 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
In tracking down some of the folks who know Cowboys rookie running back Felix Jones the best, I was amazed at some of the stories they told. You can read my column on the former Arkansas player by clicking on this link.
It's hard to imagine a Tulsa high school star who rushed for over 2,000 yards and 48 touchdowns escaping the state of Oklahoma, but then few people are as persuasive as former Razorbacks head coach Houston Nutt.
Jones turned down a scholarship to Oklahoma State because the school waited too long to show interest. He ended up choosing Arkansas over Texas A&M, in part because of his strong relationship with Nutt's younger brother, Danny, who served as the Arkansas running backs coach at the time.
He only caught 39 passes during his three years in Fayetteville, but the Cowboys plan to use him quite a bit in the passing game. His college coaches talked about how he occasionally dropped passes in practice, but never once dropped a ball in the game.
"He's one of those kids that played big when we were facing the best schools in the conference," Nutt said. "I knew he was going to be special from the first time we faced a big-time school his freshman year."
My column mentions the fact that Jones will forever be linked to Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall, who was taken after Jones despite being projected by experts as a better running back. According to my radio colleague Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys actually had Mendenhall ranked ahead of Jones on their draft board. But when the time came to pull the trigger, Jerry thought Felix would complement Marion Barber better than Mendenhall.
After talking things over with Jerry this weekend, it's obvious that his ties to Arkansas played a large role in the decision. He spent hours talking to former Razorbacks coach and athletic director Frank Broyles and hired Nutt's defensive coordinator Reggie Herring to coach linebackers in Dallas. Jones also has a great admiration for former Cowboys quarterbacks coach and Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee, who has joined Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami.
Lee is largely responsible for coming up with the Wild Hog formation that featured both Darren McFadden and Jones. In the end, Jones was simply a better fit for the Cowboys.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks
Here is the article Mosely referred to:
Jones' "makeup" perfect fit for Cowboys
Mosley
By Matt Mosley
ESPN.com
IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he "didn't blink" when it came time to choose between running backs Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall during last month's draft. But I'm told a few of his employees are still blinking.
Felix Jones' first minicamp left Cowboys owner Jerry Jones satisfied with his investment.
Just as former second-round pick Julius Jones was compared to Steven Jackson, the player the Cowboys passed up in 2004, Felix Jones and Mendenhall will be under constant surveillance by veteran second-guessers throughout their careers.
But after watching Jones participate in his first minicamp over the weekend, the Cowboys owner certainly didn't sound like a man afflicted by buyer's remorse -- or any sense of perspective. Jerry spent a lot of time discussing Jones' "makeup" before launching into an awkward description of the former Arkansas running back's posterior.
"He's got one of those nice bubble butts," said the owner, who was attempting to point out that Jones (5-10, 207) shouldn't be considered a scatback.
Jones, who played at the same Tulsa high school (Booker T. Washington) as current NFL players R.W. McQuarters, Mark Anderson and Robert Meachem, seemed slightly amused by all the attention he received during the minicamp. On Saturday morning, Emmitt Smith stopped by Valley Ranch to visit with the rookie running back on his way to play golf. He ended up providing pointers on how to separate from linebackers during pass routes.
"I think Mendenhall is a very good back," Smith said. "I just think Felix has a lot more hip movement, and he reads and cuts in a fluid manner."
Jones, who idolized Smith and Barry Sanders while growing up in Oklahoma, was still smiling about the encounter a couple of hours later.
"Man, it was amazing seeing somebody of his stature coming around," he said. "And then coming around to give me some advice -- I appreciated that."
Later that afternoon, Jones spotted another familiar face on the sideline, former Sooners and Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer, who knows a thing or two about running backs. The two met at a banquet in Tulsa a couple of years ago, and Switzer had told him he was going to be a superstar someday.
When Jones jogged over to pay homage to Switzer, the legendary coach said, "I told you you were going be a superstar."
As he left Valley Ranch with a traveling party that included former Sooners and Browns running back Greg Pruitt, Switzer provided a brief but entertaining scouting report that he punctuated with a couple of timely expletives.
"He's a jump-around guy," Switzer said. "I've always liked Pop Warner guys. He's like Pruitt. He can slash, and those guys are hard to get ahold of. I never did like the big back."
Jones may have been surprised by all the attention because he's so used to sharing the spotlight. The last time he had the backfield all to himself was his senior season in high school, when he rushed for 2,282 yards and 48 touchdowns. An ankle injury his junior season caused him to fly under the recruiting radar a bit.
Arkansas and Texas A&M were first on the scene, but Oklahoma State made a strong push at the end. The advantage former Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt had was that he used to play AAU basketball with Jones' uncle, Steve Jones, who had played at Oklahoma State.
Felix Jones joined Little Rock native Darren McFadden in what would become one of the most prolific tandems in SEC history. Jones made an immediate impact on special teams, averaging 31.9 yards per kickoff return and scoring a touchdown. In his sophomore season, Jones ran for 1,168 yards and led the nation in yards per carry (7.6) for backs who had at least 100 carries.
He might have broken every rushing record in school history if it hadn't been for McFadden, who went fourth overall to Oakland in the draft. Coaches still marvel at how much the two players embraced the two-back system. When McFadden scored a long touchdown, Jones often would sprint from the sideline in order to be the first one to greet him in the end zone. From their first position meeting in 2005, the two were inseparable.
"It was so unusual," said Nutt on Sunday. "It's a balancing act with a lot of these kids. They want to know, 'Where are my touches?' It's funny. Felix actually started receiving honors before Darren, but they were both so unselfish."
That quality played a large role in Jones' decision to draft the Arkansas back, who will share carries with the punishing Marion Barber in Dallas. Jones has made constant references to the rookie's makeup since the draft. Contrary to what a lot of people think, the former Razorback never has gone out of his way to draft or sign Arkansas players. But with Jones, he admitted to having inside information.
Jones said he spent a lot of time talking to legendary Arkansas coach Frank Broyles as he prepared to retire as the school's athletic director. Broyles vouched for his running back's character and is primarily responsible for the Cowboys owner's falling in love with the word "makeup."
Nutt, now the head coach at Ole Miss, confirmed a story that I'd heard from several people with ties to the Arkansas program. When Jones received Pell Grant money, he would take out a small amount and send the rest home to his family.
"They made a lot of sacrifices for me," he said Sunday. "So it just seemed like the natural thing to do."
Nutt also tells the story about how obsessive Jones was about attending summer workouts. When he had to miss a day to drive back to Tulsa, he would call the strength and conditioning coach in advance, then come in on an off day to make up for his absence.
"I don't think Felix ever had a bad day in the three years he was on campus," Nutt said. "It was just uncanny how consistent he was."
At one point last season, Jones showed up in Nutt's office seeking advice about whether he should forgo his senior season and declare himself eligible for the draft. Nutt told Jones to wait until after the LSU game in November. When Arkansas rushed for 385 yards in a thrilling 50-48 triple overtime victory over the eventual national champions, the coach knew it was time to talk to his star running backs. He met McFadden and Jones at Colton's Steakhouse and Grill in Fayetteville.
"I was getting too much information from my friends in the scouting business, so I told both of them that they would probably go in the first round," said Nutt. "I did tell Felix that he could come back and have a chance to win the Heisman, but I wanted him to know about his options."
McFadden and Jones soon will live more than 1,000 miles apart, but they're still inseparable. On Friday evening, McFadden called to get a full report on Jones' first minicamp. Oakland's minicamp begins Friday.
"I just told him it's different than what we had to go through [at Arkansas]," Jones said. "It's longer hours, it's a lot more meetings. He kind of knew what was going to happen, but when we talked, I gave him something he could prepare for."
The good thing is that Jerry Jones and head coach Wade Phillips aren't trying to put too much pressure on Felix. Well, except for the Thurman Thomas comparisons.
"When I saw him on tape, he runs a lot like Thurman Thomas did," said Phillips. "His feet are close to the ground so he can cut quickly. And he sees people. He has great vision in my opinion. He sees the safety over here if he's coming. I think he's special in that area."
So other than Emmitt Smith, Barry Switzer and Greg Pruitt dropping by to see him, it was just a typical weekend for Felix Jones. He may have finally found a place where he can't fly under the radar.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=mosley_matt&id=3381987
May 5, 2008 8:39 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley
In tracking down some of the folks who know Cowboys rookie running back Felix Jones the best, I was amazed at some of the stories they told. You can read my column on the former Arkansas player by clicking on this link.
It's hard to imagine a Tulsa high school star who rushed for over 2,000 yards and 48 touchdowns escaping the state of Oklahoma, but then few people are as persuasive as former Razorbacks head coach Houston Nutt.
Jones turned down a scholarship to Oklahoma State because the school waited too long to show interest. He ended up choosing Arkansas over Texas A&M, in part because of his strong relationship with Nutt's younger brother, Danny, who served as the Arkansas running backs coach at the time.
He only caught 39 passes during his three years in Fayetteville, but the Cowboys plan to use him quite a bit in the passing game. His college coaches talked about how he occasionally dropped passes in practice, but never once dropped a ball in the game.
"He's one of those kids that played big when we were facing the best schools in the conference," Nutt said. "I knew he was going to be special from the first time we faced a big-time school his freshman year."
My column mentions the fact that Jones will forever be linked to Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall, who was taken after Jones despite being projected by experts as a better running back. According to my radio colleague Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys actually had Mendenhall ranked ahead of Jones on their draft board. But when the time came to pull the trigger, Jerry thought Felix would complement Marion Barber better than Mendenhall.
After talking things over with Jerry this weekend, it's obvious that his ties to Arkansas played a large role in the decision. He spent hours talking to former Razorbacks coach and athletic director Frank Broyles and hired Nutt's defensive coordinator Reggie Herring to coach linebackers in Dallas. Jones also has a great admiration for former Cowboys quarterbacks coach and Arkansas offensive coordinator David Lee, who has joined Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami.
Lee is largely responsible for coming up with the Wild Hog formation that featured both Darren McFadden and Jones. In the end, Jones was simply a better fit for the Cowboys.
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks
Here is the article Mosely referred to:
Jones' "makeup" perfect fit for Cowboys
Mosley
By Matt Mosley
ESPN.com
IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he "didn't blink" when it came time to choose between running backs Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall during last month's draft. But I'm told a few of his employees are still blinking.
Felix Jones' first minicamp left Cowboys owner Jerry Jones satisfied with his investment.
Just as former second-round pick Julius Jones was compared to Steven Jackson, the player the Cowboys passed up in 2004, Felix Jones and Mendenhall will be under constant surveillance by veteran second-guessers throughout their careers.
But after watching Jones participate in his first minicamp over the weekend, the Cowboys owner certainly didn't sound like a man afflicted by buyer's remorse -- or any sense of perspective. Jerry spent a lot of time discussing Jones' "makeup" before launching into an awkward description of the former Arkansas running back's posterior.
"He's got one of those nice bubble butts," said the owner, who was attempting to point out that Jones (5-10, 207) shouldn't be considered a scatback.
Jones, who played at the same Tulsa high school (Booker T. Washington) as current NFL players R.W. McQuarters, Mark Anderson and Robert Meachem, seemed slightly amused by all the attention he received during the minicamp. On Saturday morning, Emmitt Smith stopped by Valley Ranch to visit with the rookie running back on his way to play golf. He ended up providing pointers on how to separate from linebackers during pass routes.
"I think Mendenhall is a very good back," Smith said. "I just think Felix has a lot more hip movement, and he reads and cuts in a fluid manner."
Jones, who idolized Smith and Barry Sanders while growing up in Oklahoma, was still smiling about the encounter a couple of hours later.
"Man, it was amazing seeing somebody of his stature coming around," he said. "And then coming around to give me some advice -- I appreciated that."
Later that afternoon, Jones spotted another familiar face on the sideline, former Sooners and Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer, who knows a thing or two about running backs. The two met at a banquet in Tulsa a couple of years ago, and Switzer had told him he was going to be a superstar someday.
When Jones jogged over to pay homage to Switzer, the legendary coach said, "I told you you were going be a superstar."
As he left Valley Ranch with a traveling party that included former Sooners and Browns running back Greg Pruitt, Switzer provided a brief but entertaining scouting report that he punctuated with a couple of timely expletives.
"He's a jump-around guy," Switzer said. "I've always liked Pop Warner guys. He's like Pruitt. He can slash, and those guys are hard to get ahold of. I never did like the big back."
Jones may have been surprised by all the attention because he's so used to sharing the spotlight. The last time he had the backfield all to himself was his senior season in high school, when he rushed for 2,282 yards and 48 touchdowns. An ankle injury his junior season caused him to fly under the recruiting radar a bit.
Arkansas and Texas A&M were first on the scene, but Oklahoma State made a strong push at the end. The advantage former Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt had was that he used to play AAU basketball with Jones' uncle, Steve Jones, who had played at Oklahoma State.
Felix Jones joined Little Rock native Darren McFadden in what would become one of the most prolific tandems in SEC history. Jones made an immediate impact on special teams, averaging 31.9 yards per kickoff return and scoring a touchdown. In his sophomore season, Jones ran for 1,168 yards and led the nation in yards per carry (7.6) for backs who had at least 100 carries.
He might have broken every rushing record in school history if it hadn't been for McFadden, who went fourth overall to Oakland in the draft. Coaches still marvel at how much the two players embraced the two-back system. When McFadden scored a long touchdown, Jones often would sprint from the sideline in order to be the first one to greet him in the end zone. From their first position meeting in 2005, the two were inseparable.
"It was so unusual," said Nutt on Sunday. "It's a balancing act with a lot of these kids. They want to know, 'Where are my touches?' It's funny. Felix actually started receiving honors before Darren, but they were both so unselfish."
That quality played a large role in Jones' decision to draft the Arkansas back, who will share carries with the punishing Marion Barber in Dallas. Jones has made constant references to the rookie's makeup since the draft. Contrary to what a lot of people think, the former Razorback never has gone out of his way to draft or sign Arkansas players. But with Jones, he admitted to having inside information.
Jones said he spent a lot of time talking to legendary Arkansas coach Frank Broyles as he prepared to retire as the school's athletic director. Broyles vouched for his running back's character and is primarily responsible for the Cowboys owner's falling in love with the word "makeup."
Nutt, now the head coach at Ole Miss, confirmed a story that I'd heard from several people with ties to the Arkansas program. When Jones received Pell Grant money, he would take out a small amount and send the rest home to his family.
"They made a lot of sacrifices for me," he said Sunday. "So it just seemed like the natural thing to do."
Nutt also tells the story about how obsessive Jones was about attending summer workouts. When he had to miss a day to drive back to Tulsa, he would call the strength and conditioning coach in advance, then come in on an off day to make up for his absence.
"I don't think Felix ever had a bad day in the three years he was on campus," Nutt said. "It was just uncanny how consistent he was."
At one point last season, Jones showed up in Nutt's office seeking advice about whether he should forgo his senior season and declare himself eligible for the draft. Nutt told Jones to wait until after the LSU game in November. When Arkansas rushed for 385 yards in a thrilling 50-48 triple overtime victory over the eventual national champions, the coach knew it was time to talk to his star running backs. He met McFadden and Jones at Colton's Steakhouse and Grill in Fayetteville.
"I was getting too much information from my friends in the scouting business, so I told both of them that they would probably go in the first round," said Nutt. "I did tell Felix that he could come back and have a chance to win the Heisman, but I wanted him to know about his options."
McFadden and Jones soon will live more than 1,000 miles apart, but they're still inseparable. On Friday evening, McFadden called to get a full report on Jones' first minicamp. Oakland's minicamp begins Friday.
"I just told him it's different than what we had to go through [at Arkansas]," Jones said. "It's longer hours, it's a lot more meetings. He kind of knew what was going to happen, but when we talked, I gave him something he could prepare for."
The good thing is that Jerry Jones and head coach Wade Phillips aren't trying to put too much pressure on Felix. Well, except for the Thurman Thomas comparisons.
"When I saw him on tape, he runs a lot like Thurman Thomas did," said Phillips. "His feet are close to the ground so he can cut quickly. And he sees people. He has great vision in my opinion. He sees the safety over here if he's coming. I think he's special in that area."
So other than Emmitt Smith, Barry Switzer and Greg Pruitt dropping by to see him, it was just a typical weekend for Felix Jones. He may have finally found a place where he can't fly under the radar.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=mosley_matt&id=3381987
