Q & A with Mike Jones
During all of spring practice, much was made of Syracuse’s dynamic trio of running backs. Delone Carter, Antwon Bailey and Averin Collier all figured to play integral roles this season. Six games in, one could argue the most productive running back has been somebody else – Mike Jones. Though the redshirt freshman is used sparingly on offense, Jones has consistently provided great field position. He ranks third in kick return average in the Big East (24.3).
This week, he talked to The Daily Orange about his approach to each return, the rapper Mike Jones, his favorite music, his dream date and more.
Q: First, the obligatory question. How many times have you heard ‘Mike Jones – who – Mike Jones’ in reference to the rapper Mike Jones?
A: A lot. In high school, when Mike Jones first came out, it was the first game I started. So the whole student section had signs and posters and t-shirts. It was annoying for a while there but I’m kind of used to it now. When I scored, the whole student section would do the whole ‘Who?!’ chant. In class, when teachers would call attendance and say ‘Mike Jones,’ everybody said, ‘Who?!’ I still get it here in the student section and with professors. They’ll say we have a rapper in the classroom.
Q: Do you like Mike Jones the rapper?
A: No. Not at all. He’s awful. I don’t like him at all. He was kind of a one-hit wonder. ‘Back Then’ was his one song that was alright, and then he just kind of fell off.
Q: Who is your favorite rapper?
A: I like Lil Wayne, Nas, 2Pac and all them. Lil Wayne is a genius, lyric-wise. He comes up with stuff that’s just unreal. I listen to rock and country too. I listen to pretty much everything. This past year, I liked Jason Aldean. He was good. I like Jimmy Buffett. I just like all different types of music.
Q: Do other guys on the team like country?
A: There are a couple guys. Coming from Pennsylvania, it’s kind of country(er) out there. There’s a couple guys from P.A. on the team, like (Max) Suter. Me and him are from the same area.
Q: What song gets you most amped before a game?
A: Rob Zombie’s ‘Dragula.’ Just the whole lyric part about it, the voice, it’s just wild. It gets you hyped and sends chills down your spine and gets you ready to play right then.
Q: How do you approach each kick return?
A: We watched a video in the running backs room of Walter Payton, and he said that every time he gets the ball he’s trying to get to the end zone before it blows up. So that’s pretty much my approach. I just want to get through the smoke. There’s a lot of traffic and everything, kind of like NASCAR. There’s all kinds of smoke and those guys just put the throttle down, trust their guys and go right through it.
Q: Is there a returner in the NFL that you try to emulate?
A: I like Devin Hester. That guy’s amazing. I think I see it like he does. He doesn’t do a bunch of dancing back there. He just hits the hole and goes. So I watch a lot of his film to see what he’s doing and try to see what he’s seeing. I’ll go on YouTube and type in ‘Devin Hester returns.’ Even if it’s not a touchdown return, it’s good to see what he sees because it’s always a back angle.
Q: Is returning all about instincts?
A: Yeah, when I catch the ball, I’m pretty much not looking at anything. By the time I get the ball, the opponent is at the 30-yard line and I’m going forward. I know what my guys are trying to do so it’s just a matter of when they get to it. If it’s set up too early, guys will get off their blocks and if it’s set up too late then I don’t see it and I have to use instincts.’
Q: How disappointing is it when you see a flag after a big return?
A: Kickoff returns are the hardest thing to block because you’re guys are standing still and trying to block someone running full speed at you. So, I understand. It’s kind of about what the (officials) see and what they don’t see. Pretty much every play someone is doing something wrong.
Q: Where is your favorite place to eat at Syracuse?
A: Dinosaur Bar-B-Q. When I came up on my official visit, I fell in love with that place. I love the pulled pork barbeque.
Q: So it’s worth the wait in line?
A: Yeah, it’s two hours and stuff, something crazy like that. But I don’t have something else to do so I stick it out.
Q: What was your longest wait there?
A: Like three and a half hours. I actually put my name on the list, went home and came back two hours later.
Q: If you were chancellor here at Syracuse for one day, what’s one thing you’d do?
A: Postpone all the classes for a day.
Q: Who would you say is your dream date and where would you guys go?
A: I’m going to have to go with Jessica Alba. I’d probably just go somewhere where no one’s at. Wherever that takes me!
Published on October 22, 2009 at 12:00 pm
