Athlete of the week: football’s David Jones

Athlete of the week: football's David Jones

Jersey Number: 13

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 187 lbs

Year: redshirt sophomore

Hometown: St. Petersburg, Florida

High School: St. Petersburg High

Nicknames: DJ, D-Jones, The King

Defensive back David Jones had a career game against Rhode Island on Saturday, tallying three of Richmond’s six takeaways in a dominant defensive effort. Jones caught two interceptions and returned one of them for his first career touchdown. He also recovered a fumble on a kickoff early in the game to help build momentum early for the Spiders. He made three tackles and had one quarterback hit.

Jones suffered a high ankle sprain in Saturday’s game, and said he expected to be back on the field in one to two weeks.

Following the game, head coach Danny Rocco was excited about Jones’ performance. “He flashes so much in practice,” Rocco said. “He is a great athlete.”

Q&A with Jones:

Q: When did you start playing football?

A: When I was seven, I started playing flag football.

Q: What’s been your best athletic moment to date?

A: Um, shoot. That’s a tough one. I would say this week was one of my best performances.

Q: Do you have any pregame rituals?

A: Yeah, I pray before every game. And I take a 5-Hour Energy before the game. That seems to help.

Q: Who’s the best dancer on the team?

A: I would have to say Ham, Jeremiah Hamlin. He just always has new moves. He has some nice moves.

Q: Who’s the funniest person on the team?

A: Dominique Miller, by far. He’s hilarious.

Q: Who’s your favorite teammate?

A: I can’t answer that, man, there are too many to name. I like everybody.

Q: Do you have a favorite player on a different sports team?

A: I would say Kendall Anthony. I think he has a lot of heart, and for his size he’s really good.

Q: Do you have any inspirations?

A: I would say Lebron James. He’s confident. He has swag. He likes to win. He does everything with a purpose. He gets along with his teammates. Lebron has the whole package.

Q: Do you have any role models?

A: Steve and Reggie [Barnette], because when I came here they were like my older brothers.

Q: What are you afraid of?

A: I’m afraid of falling short as far as my accomplishments. I’m a perfectionist.

Q: What’s one thing you can do better than your coach? (referring to defensive coordinator Bob Trott)

A: Run.

Q: Is there anything else you want people to know about you?

A: Yeah, I care a lot about my teammates. That performance wasn’t just on me, a lot of my teammates helped me prepare for that and accomplish what I did.

Contact Sports Editor Charlie Broaddus at charlie.broaddus@richmond.edu