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Inside The Huskies

How Jeron Jones Sets Himself Apart From Other UW Freshmen

The first-year defensive back has impressed the coaching staff with his approach.
Dan Raley|
Jeron Jones is surrounded by fellow defensive backs after an Apple Cup interception.
Jeron Jones is surrounded by fellow defensive backs after an Apple Cup interception. | Dave Sizer photo

Of the University of Washington freshmen football players who have stood in the limelight this season, these young guys have wracked up starting assignments galore, plenty of yardage, multiple touchdowns, plus interceptions, tackles and a couple of sacks.

With Jeron Jones, there's one more thing.

"Swagger," UW coach Jedd Fisch said.

While freshman edge rusher Ramzak Fruean exhibits wild exuberance as an enthusiastic 17-year-old kid, and freshman defensive tackle Derek Colman-Brusa nearly cold-cocked an official when excitedly celebrating a tackle for loss, Jones brings a certain amount of cool and savvy as a first-year player unlike his peers.

"Like he has an aura about him, that like he feels confident in his play," Fisch said. "He has really good ball skills."

Through seven games, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Jones from Mission Viejo, California, has appeared in all but one of them, sitting out against Iowa with a pulled hamstring muscle.

Ever so versatile, he's started four times -- twice at cornerback and twice at nickelback.

Jones also has two interceptions, coming in his first game and last one.

In the season opener against Washington State, he was barely into his second quarter as a college defensive back when he stepped in front of a Caden Pinnick pass without anyone around him. He returned it 9 yards to the Cougars 21, setting up the first Husky touchdown of the season.

Last weekend, the UW was trying to salt away a 38-26 victory over Purdue when Jones and sophomore safety Rylon Dillard-Allen put the Boilermakers away with back-to-back interceptions. over the final seven minutes.

On his pass theft, Jones raced down the sideline one on one and step for step with wide receiver Tra'Marr Harris and beat the older Purdue player to the ball when it arrived at the UW 14.

Jones continually impresses the Husky coaching staff with the unflappable manner in which he conducts himself.

"Even times where, we'll call it a PI penalty and he got beat on a play, there was never a flinch," Fisch said. "That's what you need obviously is a short, goldfish memory as a DB."

Jones came to Montlake with readymade style and this has led to big play after big play, signaling a promising career for him in Montlake.

He's one of five freshmen who have started Husky games and one of 15 who have received game-day snaps. He covers and hits people as required by his position. He just does things with a little more self-assuredness than his fellow first-year players.

"You also have to have that swagger and confidence," Fisch said. "And he has that."

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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