NFL Draft Journey: Travis Jones Meets The Media At Scouting Combine
One of the fast risers from the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this past week was UConn defensive tackle Travis Jones. The agile big man demonstrated superb athleticism with his testing times and impressed during positional drills.
A native of New Haven, Jones is poised to be the top Huskies player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. He measured in at 6-foot-4, 325 pounds with massive 10-inch hands and near seven-foot wingspan! Impressive size, which made his 4.92 forty-yard dash an exceptional mark. This is after a head-turning week of practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where Jones was unstoppable.
The next stop on his draft journey will be a return home to Storrs, for UConn Pro day on March 24th. Be sure to keep it locked to UConn Illustrated for on location coverage, as we provide live updates on Jones and all the Huskies pro prospects at the workout. In the meantime, enjoy the interview exchange between Jones and the assembled media at his podium press conference from the combine:
How many NFL teams have you met with?
I can't remember but about eight teams.
How was your experience at the Senior Bowl, why do you think it went so well?
I just wanted to go down there and show people I could play with everyone in the country and I could go down and compete. I feel like I did a decent job. I feel like I could have done more, though. Maybe won a couple more one-on-one reps.
What player could you have won more one-on-ones against?
Zion Johnson. Zion’s my boy.
What makes Zion such a good player?
He’s strong and he’s got leverage. He’s a little bit shorter.
What do you consider to be your best attributes?
I feel like I can stop the run pretty well and as a nose, I think I’m pretty good at pass-rush.
How were you able to generate so much pressure against Clemson?
Clemson was a big game for me. I really wanted to go out there and show people I can play with top teams in the country. I feel like I did that game.
Who is the best opponent you faced this past season?
The Best line I faced during the season I’d say Purdue had a pretty good o-line.
Were you mostly one-technique at UConn?
This past year I played strictly one-tech. In 2019 I played one and three-technique.
You weighed 326 at the Senior Bowl.
At UConn I played around 330, 333.
What went well versus Clemson and how does it translate to the NFL?
I think that game I was more consistent in stopping the run and coming off the ball with low pad level.
Did you play basketball in high school?
No. I did track. Shot, discus and javelin. I was pretty decent but I didn’t have any technique with it. I went to the states but didn’t win.
What are your best rush moves?
I’d say my bull-rush or club arm over.
How did you wind up at UConn?
I didn’t have a lot of offers coming out of high school. I had UConn, Temple, Boston College, Rutgers and Buffalo. I wanted to stay close to home. I had my mom and grandparents come see me play.
Did you go to a big high school?
No My high school wasn’t a power house. We were a small school.
What are you working on trying to improve now?
I’d say my diet, eating healthier food and my conditioning, for sure.
What was your attitude headed into the Senior Bowl?
Coming from UConn we don’t play big-time schools every week and I wanted to go down there and show I could dominate anybody in the country. I had a chip on my shoulder and I feel like I went down there and did my job.
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