Indiana’s Ricky Jones Jr. looking to prove himself as an NFL talent
By Tyler Brooke
As he prepares for the 2017 NFL draft, Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Ricky Jones Jr. hopes that his determination and work ethic will help him find a home at the next level.
The Indiana Hoosiers have produced some legitimate NFL talent in recent years, from running backs like Jordan Howard and Tevin Coleman to others like Cody Latimer, Bobby Richardson and Shane Wynn. Wide receiver Ricky Jones Jr. is hoping that he can add his name to that list.
Jones has always had a chip on his shoulder. He’s a smaller receiver at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds that’s been overlooked since he came out of high school. After initially receiving offers out of high school from programs like Clemson, North Carolina, Stanford and Texas Tech, many programs began to doubt Jones’ ability, leading him to commit to Indiana.
Coming into the program, the Hoosiers were still one of the bottom feeders in the Big Ten. Now, as Jones enters the 2017 NFL draft, the Hoosiers have gone to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since the 1990 and 1991 seasons.
“My ultimate goal was to change the program from when I got here to when I left,” Jones told Saturday Blitz. “For us to get to back to back bowl games and finish our careers like that, it was a great step for our program.”
Jones’ career didn’t get off to the best start in 2012. The Hoosiers receiver ended up redshirting that year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury just one game into the season. He then saw limited time in 2013 and 2014, catching just four passes in those two seasons.
Things started to turn around for Jones in his redshirt junior season in 2015, catching 54 passes for 906 yards and five touchdowns. He kept up that production this year to the tune of 53 receptions, 848 yards and three touchdowns.
What Jones lacks in size he makes up for in determination. He does a great job of making plays after the catch and had very few drops throughout his career. For someone who isn’t the biggest receiver, Jones doesn’t shy away from contact, either.
However, if you ask Jones what his biggest strength is, he’ll tell you that it’s his heart.
“You can measure a receiver’s size, but it’s hard to measure his heart,” Jones said. “If that was a trait, I think I’d belong near the top of the draft this year. People just look at height and weight, but I know that once I get my chance I’ll be working every day to be great.”
Still, Jones understands that it’s not going to be a walk in the park to make it onto an NFL roster. He hopes to get a chance to showcase his physical tools at his pro day and is focused on dropping his 40-yard dash time to prove that he has NFL-caliber speed.
No matter what happens, Jones is determined to give himself an opportunity to play at the next level. He’s hoping that at least one team in the NFL will give him a chance, but at the same time he says that he’s not going to be discouraged if people doubt him. Heck, people have been doubting Jones for years, and he only knows one way to deal with that.
“Count me out and I’m going to come back and fight harder.”