Andrew Jones EXCLUSIVE: Longhorns Great on Giving Back, Germany, Rodney Terry & Being 'A Big Dreamer'
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DES MOINES, IOWA - Andrew Jones took to Twitter on Valentine's Day last month.
His message? A resounding, yet simple one that wouldn't have been possible without unwavering resilience under the heaviest of circumstances for the former Texas Longhorns guard.
Five years ago, Andrew Jones was cancer free.
"5 years cancer free, all glory to God," Jones tweeted. "May he protect those going through similar battles."
Jones' journey has taken him down some windy paths. But the gust seems to have swept him up on a direct trip to Germany, where he's now earned the right to fulfill his dream and call himself a professional basketball player.
Yet, even for a guy with a proven no-quit attitude, Jones had his doubts about making it to this point. He opened up about his recent journey in an exclusive interview with LonghornsCountry.com.
"I'm just really grateful to be able to have this opportunity now to further my career in basketball when most probably thought I would never go pro," Jones said. "I never thought I'll be able to be pro or make money playing the game of basketball and continue to play the game that I love."
Jones plays for Rasta Vechta in Germany's Pro A league. His squad is currently at the top of the table with a 19-4 record, as Jones is averaging 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 90.6 percent from the foul line.
But even in the middle of living his dream during a busy and successful season, Jones is still making time for what matters most: giving hope to others thinking that all has been lost during their similar cancer battles.
"I'm continuing to try to work alongside with the Jimmy V Foundation to continue to help expand the research for cancer and help others to be motivated and to fight and have hope," Jones said.
While Jones' focus is on being a beacon of hope for cancer patients, he wants his impact to also extend to those who are struggling with anything that life might throw their way.
"(I'm gonna) continue to be a motivator and an inspiration to others battling the same situation, whether it's a terminal illness like cancer or adversity with family members or even an ACL whether there's an injury, just being that figure to know that you can always fight back and be resilient and to give hope to people who might have lost it," Jones said.
A native of Irving, Texas, Jones has planted his motivational roots in his hometown by giving back to the community. But this impact knows no international boundaries, as - despite still polishing up on learning German - he's made sure to reach out to the community in his new country.
"I'm continuing to brand myself and get the community behind me, trying to learn German so I can actually communicate a little better with them," he said. "But right now, I think so far, things are going well."
Jones' comfort with his new home has certainly grown in the seven months that he's been there, but what's the plan for the future? While there's no other option than living one day at a time - an approach Jones admits he's taking - a journey back to the U.S. could be in the works, but not before he establishes himself in the European game.
Still, considering all he's been through, dreaming big about a successful future remains present as well in order to balance the plan out.
"I'm still a big dreamer," Jones said. "Right now, to still continue to - overseas, make a name for myself overseas. I feel like I established myself at the collegiate level as a great player, and now overseas in a country that really nobody knows me that I can continue to do the same thing."
The confidence and aspirations are all lining up for him. At 6-4 with solid length and impressive shooting ability, Jones knows he has the tools that will intrigue professional scouts in other leagues.
"I just continue to take it day by day and so on, and basically showing a team that my style of play could benefit and help another professional team or organization," he said.
Jones honed his professional basketball ability after playing for what felt like forever in Austin. In five full seasons and 135 career games at Texas, Jones rose to become one of the top guards in the Big 12, arguably the toughest conference in college basketball.
He finished his Texas career ranked among the best in program history, as he's seventh in games played, ninth in total points (1,620), ninth in minutes played (3,664), fourth in 3-point makes (234) and 10th in defensive rebounds (390).
And during Jones' final year last season, he had assistant coach Rodney Terry helping lead him along the way.
Like Jones, Terry's journey has seen some significant changes over the past year. After Texas fired coach Chris Beard in January, Terry was named the interim head coach for the rest of the season and currently has the Longhorns as a No. 2 seed in the Round of 32 at the NCAA Tournament. The team will played 10th-seeded Penn State on Saturday.
Jones saw first-hand last season what makes Terry special, saying that it always felt like he was another head coach on the staff.
"We always thought of RT as just another head coach, not necessarily an assistant," Jones said. "His appeal to the players is a skill to be able to be an interpersonal guy that you can go talk to and then also a motivator that's always looking to bring the best out of you and you know it comes from a good place."
While sharing some detailed compliments, Jones also had a message for anyone doubting Terry's ability to be the next full-time head coach at the University of Texas.
"When coach RT goes and meets these children, these young prospects and meets their parents and their families, what they're going to really see the most is his charisma as a person," Jones said. "He's very intense as a coach, but his interpersonal skills and how he can make a player feel as if they're one and as if they're joining a family. I feel like his approach to the game has always been pure and authentic."
As one of the best basketball players in program history, Jones bleeds burnt orange and wasn't afraid to hide his fandom before Texas' win over Colgate in the Round of 64 on Thursday, as he predicted a Longhorns victory.
"I think Marcus Carr is gonna have an outbreak game," Jones said.
Indeed, Texas won 81-61 as Carr scored 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting while the Longhorns shot the net off the rim.
Along with having a busy practice schedule, Jones and Rasta Vechta play their next game on Saturday at around 7:30 p.m. local time in Germany.
But even though he might have to stay up late due to a six-hour time difference, you can bet Jones will be catching his old teammates and coaches look to continue their March Madness dreams against Penn State.
As for Jones, he'll keep making his own dreams into a reality that at one point seemed impossible, all while giving others hope that the same future lies ahead for them.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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