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Dallas takes Felix in first round
by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
4/27/2008 12:00 AM
When he lays his head on his pillow at night, Felix Jones thinks about his mother and father, his family, and his future. Inevitably, he thinks about playing in the NFL, and how millions of dollars from his new employer the Dallas Cowboys will change all their lives.
"Yeah, I've thought about that. I'm going to help my family out. That's one thing I'm going to do," Jones said. "For me, they've been there since day one. They saw it in me before I saw it in myself. They always had support for me, and that's something I'd be honored to do for them anyhow."
Now they can support Jones the former Booker T. Washington Hornet and Arkansas Razorback as a running back on America's Team. Jones was the 22nd pick in the first round of Saturday's NFL Draft. "Oh man, I'm excited," Jones said on a conference call. "I grew up watching this team. Now I am going to have a chance to play for them and play with that star on my helmet and I am going to make the best of it."
During a press conference from Valley Ranch, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said Jones' speed and receiving ability "gives us a different dimension." Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called his new running back "a back that can make a 50- or 60-yard play for you. . . . Those win games as well.
"Felix Jones, I think, gives us a great chance to make big plays with a dimension of speed, but more importantly (with) his instincts as a running back."
Felix Jones' speed his career rushing average of 7.66 at Arkansas is the second-highest in NCAA history should be effective in the Cowboys' high-scoring offense. As he did as a Razorback with two-time Heisman runner-up (and No. 4 overall pick of Oakland) Darren McFadden, Jones will tandem with powerful Marion Barber to produce a thunder-and-lightning backfield.
"We did not look at our decision to get a running back as a backup position," Jerry Jones said. "We looked at the position as though we needed two backs to do the job at running back."
Felix Jones was the third running back picked, behind McFadden and Oregon's Jonathan Stewart (No. 13 to Carolina).
The fit seems perfect. Jerry Jones is an Arkansas alum, ex-player and big-money booster and has maintained close ties to the program; the Cowboys let shifty runner Julius Jones go in free agency; and Felix Jones' favorite team growing up in Tulsa was Dallas.
Felix Jones is one of four children. His father (Felix Sr.) had a carpentry business, and his mother (Debra) operated a day care. Those lessons of self-employment taught him much.
"I learned quite a bit from them," he said. "I learned that ain't nothing going to come to you. You have to go out there and do for yourself, and that the hard work you do does pay off. It was great to come up in that atmosphere with my brothers and my little sister, my dad out there working every day and we're helping him. It was just something that we learned as a life lesson, that we have to work hard every day."
Jones said he's dreamed of taking care of his parents for a while now, and he can't wait to reward them for all he's received.
"Yeah, they're getting close to retirement age, and I've been seeing 'em work hard all my life," he said. "I mean, that's something I want to do as well. I just want them to do what they want to do and not have them worry about going to work and doing all that. I just want to let them know that I really appreciate everything they've done for me in life and (say), 'Here's what I want to give to you.' "
by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
4/27/2008 12:00 AM
When he lays his head on his pillow at night, Felix Jones thinks about his mother and father, his family, and his future. Inevitably, he thinks about playing in the NFL, and how millions of dollars from his new employer the Dallas Cowboys will change all their lives.
"Yeah, I've thought about that. I'm going to help my family out. That's one thing I'm going to do," Jones said. "For me, they've been there since day one. They saw it in me before I saw it in myself. They always had support for me, and that's something I'd be honored to do for them anyhow."
Now they can support Jones the former Booker T. Washington Hornet and Arkansas Razorback as a running back on America's Team. Jones was the 22nd pick in the first round of Saturday's NFL Draft. "Oh man, I'm excited," Jones said on a conference call. "I grew up watching this team. Now I am going to have a chance to play for them and play with that star on my helmet and I am going to make the best of it."
During a press conference from Valley Ranch, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said Jones' speed and receiving ability "gives us a different dimension." Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called his new running back "a back that can make a 50- or 60-yard play for you. . . . Those win games as well.
"Felix Jones, I think, gives us a great chance to make big plays with a dimension of speed, but more importantly (with) his instincts as a running back."
Felix Jones' speed his career rushing average of 7.66 at Arkansas is the second-highest in NCAA history should be effective in the Cowboys' high-scoring offense. As he did as a Razorback with two-time Heisman runner-up (and No. 4 overall pick of Oakland) Darren McFadden, Jones will tandem with powerful Marion Barber to produce a thunder-and-lightning backfield.
"We did not look at our decision to get a running back as a backup position," Jerry Jones said. "We looked at the position as though we needed two backs to do the job at running back."
Felix Jones was the third running back picked, behind McFadden and Oregon's Jonathan Stewart (No. 13 to Carolina).
The fit seems perfect. Jerry Jones is an Arkansas alum, ex-player and big-money booster and has maintained close ties to the program; the Cowboys let shifty runner Julius Jones go in free agency; and Felix Jones' favorite team growing up in Tulsa was Dallas.
Felix Jones is one of four children. His father (Felix Sr.) had a carpentry business, and his mother (Debra) operated a day care. Those lessons of self-employment taught him much.
"I learned quite a bit from them," he said. "I learned that ain't nothing going to come to you. You have to go out there and do for yourself, and that the hard work you do does pay off. It was great to come up in that atmosphere with my brothers and my little sister, my dad out there working every day and we're helping him. It was just something that we learned as a life lesson, that we have to work hard every day."
Jones said he's dreamed of taking care of his parents for a while now, and he can't wait to reward them for all he's received.
"Yeah, they're getting close to retirement age, and I've been seeing 'em work hard all my life," he said. "I mean, that's something I want to do as well. I just want them to do what they want to do and not have them worry about going to work and doing all that. I just want to let them know that I really appreciate everything they've done for me in life and (say), 'Here's what I want to give to you.' "