At a school notorius for running the ball, an exceptional receiver rarely makes headway.  Donald Jones is the first exception to the norm at Youngstown State that I can recall since Jimmy “The Flea” Ferranti played at YSU about 30 years ago.  Jones is being watched by NFL scouts at every game.  He has been electrifying all season long and his work ethic is unmatched.  I would credit his off the field preparation for his Saturday success.  In a 17-7 loss Saturday, he tied the record at YSU for most catches in a game with 11.  Showing his true colors at the postgame press conference, Jones said the record was not very enjoyable because the team did not win.  Probably as humble and unselfish of a guy that there is, I sat and talked with Jones about his present, past, and potential future.

Paneech: Being one of 12 seniors, how important is it for you to lead by example?

Jones: It’s real important to lead by example as both a senior and a captain, but really, we need the whole team to lead by example.  Hopefully, everybody from freshmen to seniors step up because we need leaders at every position and in every group.

Paneech: I was sitting next to a Philadelphia Eagles scout who was here looking at you Saturday.  Do you know when they are coming and how does it effect your performance?

Jones: I guess I kind of hope that a scout is at every game.  I try not to pay attention to it.  I have to go out and perform if they are there or not to help this team win.

Paneech: Talk about how special this offense can be with all of the veterans at skill positions.

Jones: This offense can be very special with all of the veterans that we have.  We have to just go out there and make it happen on Saturdays.  We did not get the job done last weekend, but we need to change that this coming weekend.

Paneech: Walk me through gameday, from the time you wake up until you go to sleep.

Jones: I usually wake up real early on the day of a game even though I can’t sleep the night before.  Then I take a shower and go to walk-throughs we have if it’s a night game.  We then have our team meal.  After that I go to the stadium and the first thing I do is pray, then start warming up.  After that, I listen to a little music and then we hit the field for the game.  What I do after the game usually depends on the result.  If my family comes in, I hang out with them, win or lose.  If they are not here, I usually like to go home and just watch more college games on TV.

Paneech: Why communications as a major?

Jones: I like the speech classes.  I want to be a coach when I get done playing so it is good practice of learning how to talk in front of people. 

Paneech: Having been here for a few years, do you still get homesick?

Jones: Not really.  Even when I was at my other shool [Lackawana CC], I was only two hours away from home, and I never really went back just so I would be prepared for when I went further away.  I never really got homesick.

Paneech: Can Donald Jones play in the NFL?

Jones: We hope so.

Paneech:  Tell me about #81, and how you ended up with it, are you a T.O. fan?

Jones: It has nothing to do with T.O. (laughs).  I’m a Giants fan, so I would never do anything that T.O. does.  That was just the number they gave me, I always wanted to wear #10 which is what I wore in high school.  Ten was my favorite number but they handed me 81 so I stuck with it.

Paneech:  What other schools recruited you out of Plainfield (NJ) High School ?

Jones: Almost every school on the East Coast.  I committed to Wisconsin which did not go through because my grades weren’t good enough.  I ended up going to Lackawana CC Junior College.  Coming out of JuCo, I ended up selecting Ole’ Miss, but the coaching staff was fired so I selected Youngstown State.

Paneech:  Was the move to junior college the right move for you in the long run?

Jones: I’m real happy I made the move to Lackawana [Junior College].  The coach over there changed my whole mindset and ways of thinking for the better.  I got my grades up while I was there and I feel that if I would have went to a big school that I may have ended up there anyway.

Paneech: When you played high school baseball, what position did you play and what kind of batting average did you have?

Jones: I played centerfield and shortstop and I don’t remember my batting average.  I had like six home runs during my senior year. 

Paneech:  Talk about the toughness of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Jones: It’s a real tough conference.  Every team that we play is tough and it seems like when these other teams play Youngstown State, they play extra-tough.

One Word Answers

Favorite NFL Team:  New York Giants.

Favorite NFL Player:  Anquan Boldin.

Favorite Sport To Play Besides Football:  Baseball.

Favorite Sport To Watch Besides Football:  Basketball.

Favorite Toppings On A Pizza:  Pepperoni.

Best Show On TV:  Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Best Way To Spend A Day Off:  Sleep.

Funniest Movie Ever Made:  Bad Boys 2.

Best Fast Food Restaurant:  McDonalds.

Worst Class Ever Taken Here At YSU:  Writing Class.

Favorite Musician of All-Time:  Luther Vandross.

Best Thing About Youngstown:  The fans!

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