Happy birthday mom: Jacquez Jones picks Ole Miss
It came down to LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State for Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Hillcrest linebacker
Jacquez Jones, but for his mother's birthday (September 9), he committed Friday to the Rebels.
"Now is the right time to commit because of my mother," said Jones. "This is all for her. She is the reason I play football and I wanted to do this for her. Without her, there would not be a Jacquez Jones, so this is a birthday present for her."
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The Jones' home is all smiles. The offices in Oxford (Miss.) are too.
"I told the coaches at Ole Miss about my commitment Thursday. I let them know I wanted to be part of the landshark defense and they were all excited. All of the coaches had the same reaction because they feel I can be a major part of their defense."
Jones may live in Tuscaloosa, but he is very familiar with his future home. He has visited there almost half a dozen times and there is a lot there that he likes.
"I have visited Ole Miss at least five times, so I know a lot about the school. What I like about Ole Miss the most is the coaches.
"At a lot of places, coaches say they want you, but at Ole Miss, I can really tell they mean it. Another thing I like is the facilities. They have the best facilities, hands down, that I have seen. And finally, the food — the food there is amazing, which is definitely a plus."
As good as Jones feels about his decision, it was not easy for him. He was just in Starkville (Miss.) recently and he loved the Bulldogs and the Tigers.
Hugh Freeze was dismissed not long ago, and at first, Jones had concerns, but he got over that pretty quickly.
"I was concerned about coach Freeze and that situation when it happened, but at the same time, it did not bother me. All the coaches are still there and that was a prime example of how coaches come and go. You just have to fall in love with the place, the school, and that is what I did."
It came down to a feeling he had when on the Ole Miss campus and it feels good to have this decision behind him.
"Making this decision was one of the toughest things I have had to go through," said Jones. "What pushed me towards Ole Miss was how I felt when i was there. I could tell right then that it was a place I could see myself playing for the next three to five years.
"I have been thinking about Ole Miss, really since I first got the offer. I knew they were going to be in my top mix of schools just because of the type of defense they have and how they have played with the past few years.
"It feels good now to be committed. I worked all my life for this moment, so now that I'm committed, I can focus on the season, staying healthy and getting our first win tonight against Northridge."