Jason Jones Selected by Tennessee in the Second Round of the NFL Draft

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NEW YORK, N.Y. — Eastern Michigan University senior defensive lineman Jason Jones (Southfield, Mich.-Lathrup) was chosen in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans here Saturday, April 26, in the first day of the selections. Jones was the 54th pick overall and the 23rd in the second round. He is the first EMU player to be drafted since Chris R. Roberson was a seventh round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2004 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Jones is the 23rd EMU football player drafted in history and is the third-highest, trailing only first-round picks Ron Johnson, as the 22nd pick in 1978, and L.J. Shelton as the 21st player chosen in the 1999 NFL Draft.

Jones completed his four-year EMU career with an outstanding 2007 season when he ranked tied for seventh in the nation and led the Mid-American Conference in tackles-for-loss with 1.63 per game. He played in all 12 games in 2007 and was a first-team All-MAC performer. Jones finished fourth on the team in total tackles with 70. He was selected to play in the 2008 Senior Bowl All-Star Game and finished with three tackles, one sack for 14 yards and had one forced fumble. In addition, he was invited to the NFL Combine in late February.

Jones began his career as a tight end and caught four passes for 12 yards as a true freshman. He was moved to defensive line for the 2005 season and was a standout there during his final three years on the team. Jones was one of the all-time leaders in EMU history in tackles-for-loss with 50-for-194 yards during his career. He also recorded 14 sacks for 101 yards.

Conference Call Quotes Courtesy of the TitansOnline.com

DL JASON JONES

(on where he expected to go in the draft)

Me and my agent discussed it and knew that I had a very good chance of going in the later part of the second round and if I didn’t go then the early part of the third.

(on how much interest the Titans showed and who else was interested)

They showed a lot of interest when I went there, especially the D-line coach really liked me. I sat down with Coach Fisher and he really liked me so I got a good vibe from them. They were probably ranked number one on my list, but I also thought Minnesota and Tampa Bay were going to try to get me. I’m so excited right now to be a Tennessee Titan.

(on if he is relieved to be selected on the first day of the draft)

I was just sitting there playing cards. I have been sweating all day and when it got to the second round I was getting kind of nervous and anxious, but I am so happy now and don’t have to sleep funny. I know where I am going.

(on if he is more of a defensive end or tackle)

That is up to the Tennessee Titans. I am a very versatile player so I’m going to let them decide that. Right now I am just happy to come.

(on how he was used in college)

In college, I played both but mostly inside.

(on switching from tight end in college to defensive line)

I liked it. It is paying off right now. I liked that move. I didn’t like offense too much anyway. This where I need to be at, defensive line.

(on his wingspan and the advantage it brings)

That is something I felt I used to my advantage in college. I feel like I can use it a little more. Hopefully with the help of Coach Washburn he will help me become a great defensive lineman in the NFL.

(on what Coach Washburn told him about his game)

He said I had natural talent and natural ability. He said with his coaching he can get me there. I am a very raw person right now. I know my technique needs to be improved but I feel with his help and my athletic ability, we can make things happen.

(on what he knows about the defensive linemen already on the team)

Actually when I came in for a visit I met [Kyle] Vanden Bosch. I know [Albert] Haynesworth is still there. They just signed Jevon Kearse. I going to come in there and there are veterans I can learn from. They can help me out as well too.

(on what he thinks about the veterans on the team)

They are some hard workers, especially Vanden Bosch. He is a hard worker and that is something I think I can learn from him. Albert Haynesworth is a very good defensive lineman too. Jevon Kearse speaks for himself. I feel that with that supporting cast around me, I feel I can be a great player.

(on what his strengths are)

My strengths as a D-lineman I feel like my versatility – I can play inside and outside, my get-off on the ball and my speed and my long arms.

(on what he wants people to know about him)

Just that I’m a real good person at heart. When I get on the football field, I’m going to work hard for the fans and I’m going to work hard for my team to produce wins.

(on how long he spent down at D1 training in Franklin)

I spent two months down there from December 18 all the way to the Combine. We actually stayed in Franklin but I got a chance to experience the Nashville life and the people and I really liked it. That is why I felt when I left there if I ended up playing there I thought I could live there and have fun there.

(on if he still weighs 270 and if he plans on playing at that weight)

Right now I weigh 270 and it depends on if they want me to gain weight or lose weight.

(on if he is able to go either way with the weight)

Yes.

(on what card game he was playing)

I was playing spades with my friends.

(on whether he was winning)

Oh, yes.

(on if he was surprised to be picked)

To tell you the truth when the Titans came up and I saw the pick was in I didn’t think they were going to call. I thought they were going to pick someone else. I saw a 615 number on my cell phone and my heart started pumping real fast. I picked it up and sure enough it was the Titans and they were saying they were getting ready to draft me. That was it.

(on whom he spoke with first)

I talked to Coach Jeff Fisher and then I talked to the general manager and then I talked to Coach Washburn.

(on if he knows any guys on the team and whether he has played against them in college)

No, none at all.

(on his comparison to other players from bigger schools)

I feel once I got to the Senior Bowl and the first and second practices got under my belt, I felt like I belonged out there. Even though I was from Eastern Michigan, I felt like I belonged out there with the other people.

(on whether he went into the Senior Bowl wondering where he stood)

No. Actually I went in and I didn’t want to be just another small school person. I wanted to make a name for myself and get a buzz from down there to help me out as far as in this process. I went down there with kind of a chip on my shoulder. I wanted to prove something.

(on who his agent is)

Mike McCartney.

(on other college teams recruiting him)

Just Eastern Michigan. That was my only football scholarship. I was all-state in basketball and I averaged 25 [points] and 15 [rebounds] in basketball. I kind of excelled on the basketball court. I did pretty good on the football field, but I excelled more on the basketball court.

(on basketball offers from college)

I didn’t get any offers. If I probably would have waited because signing day for football is before signing day for basketball. I didn’t know if I was going to get something, but I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to have my school paid for and my parents didn’t have to pay for school. I just took it and made the best out of it.

Press Conference Quotes Courtesy of the TitansOnline.com

HEAD COACH JEFF FISHER

(on drafting Jason Jones)

As you all know, good defensive linemen – those with height, weight and speed characteristics that can also play and do the things that we’re looking for – are hard to find. We watched Jason very closely. Johnny (Meads) has seen Jason play quite a bit. Jim (Schwartz) and Coach Washburn have seen him and we had Jason in for a visit and we got into a situation where this was the right guy at the right time. We feel like as it relates to him, he’s going to be able to come in and play right away. It’s not going to be a developmental thing for Jason. Jason is 6-5, 275, 280, has growth potential and he runs very, very well. He can come in and line up at end for us, he can move inside and be a rush tackle. We feel like he has growth potential to move inside and end up as a very, very good defensive tackle prospect. We’re excited about it. The receivers were coming off the board very quickly. We had Jason up there high, and at the time when we picked, Jason was the best guy on our board.

(on if Jones will settle in playing defensive end or defensive tackle)

We think he can help us right away, as I said, whether that’s at end or at tackle. I would assume on early downs that we’ll give him the opportunity to fall into the rotation and that probably will be at end, but we’ll just wait and see how it goes. He’s going to be a good player for us.

(on characteristics he has to know he can play right away)

He’s mature. He’s very smart, a high character kid. He’s passionate about the game. He’s looking forward to excelling at this level and he understands the game. You can see things on tape. You can see the subtle things on tape – the pass rush ability, the effort, the chase, the ability to get off and shed and get off blocks.

(on if he’s better against the run or as a rusher)

He’s one of the guys that has some pass rush potential already, and those are things that will develop. Those are things you can teach, but he’s a good run defender, he feels leverage and he finishes plays.

TITANS SCOUT JOHNNY MEADS

(more on Jason Jones)

The guy is a phenomenal athlete. He played basketball in high school. He went to Eastern [Michigan] as a tight end. The size (6-5), the long arms, the 275…they moved him down inside on pass downs at defensive tackle as well as defensive end when they moved him on the defensive side from the tight end position, so he has the athleticism. He has the will. When all the guys watched him on tape, you know how giddy Coach Washburn gets with guys that he likes. He started talking to me about the guy as soon as he saw him on tape, that he could be a guy that could come in and fill a role for us as a defensive end having lost Antwan (Odom) and Travis (LaBoy). Not only that, he gets an opportunity to play like Antwan did looking at boots and things like that with his long arms. We think he can eventually move down inside. Coach Washburn may look at him doing that, so he has some versatility, he’s an athlete, and as coach said, he’s smart.

COACH FISHER

(on if he has a similar body style to that of Antwan Odom)

He weighs much more than Antwan did. He’s in the high 270’s, low 280’s and could be much heavier than that by the time camp comes around.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JIM SCHWARTZ

(on what a good wingspan like that does for a player)

Everybody always charts sacks, things like that, but you can affect the play, you can win the play defensively without getting a sack when you have long arms. He gets a hand in the quarterback’s face and the quarterback has to adjust a little bit which buys time for the coverage, which buys time for the rest of the rush, plus in the run game. He uses his arms and his hands extremely well. This is a guy that played inside. You talk about a school like Eastern Michigan, you don’t think of it as major competition, but they played Michigan, Northwestern and Vanderbilt. He played at the Senior Bowl and he was effective playing down inside against all of those people because of the long arms and leverage. It’s not a guy who doesn’t have some of the things you’re looking at. He has everything that you’re looking for. Just because he weight 273 didn’t mean he couldn’t compete inside. He did extremely well in those areas.

JEFF FISHER

(on who he would compare to wingspan-wise with past Titans)

He’s not quite Jevon (Kearse), but he’s close.

JOHNNY MEADS

(on why he only had one scholarship offer coming out of high school)

He actually wanted to play basketball. He’s a basketball guy and he wanted to go to Eastern Michigan to study engineering. He’s a smart guy, and I don’t think he was looking at it just from the standpoint of athletics. He was going in to learn as well, and they felt they had a guy that could come in and play for them. He wasn’t just a football guy coming over there.

JEFF FISHER

(on if he would have taken Limas Sweed had he not been taken ahead of Jones)

We were looking at him. We were looking at a number of receivers, but a number of receivers went off quick. We didn’t have any receivers go in the first round which is very unusual and then they started going fast. We had a high grade on Sweed, as we did some of the others.

Additonal Information courtesy of the NFLDraftScout.com

Overview
After beginning his collegiate career as a tight end for the Eagles, Jones shifted to strong-side defensive tackle as a sophomore. He developed into one of the nation's top run stuffers, ranking fifth in the NCAA in tackles for losses as a junior. He continued to excel in the trenches as a senior while playing tackle and defensive end, finishing tied for seventh in the country with 19.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. For his career, Jones registered 50 stops for losses, ranking 16th all-time in Mid-American Conference history. Only Kenny Philpot (74, 1998-2001) registered more stops behind the line of scrimmage than Jones in Eastern Michigan annals. At Lathrup High School, Jones enjoyed an outstanding prep career as a football and basketball player. He was named first-team All-Oakland Athletic Association as a senior, recording 27 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles and seven interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 395 yards and eight touchdowns as a receiver. The Detroit News named him the 44th-best player on the Blue Chip list in the state of Michigan, as he also added All-Metro North honors. Jones started as a junior and senior on the school's basketball team. He led the hoops squad to the Class A regionals in 2003-04 after averaging 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. He was chosen Most Valuable Player in the Motor City Roundball Classic, as he also garnered third-team Class A All-State pick as well as a first-team All-Metro North recognition. As a junior, Jones was selected by the Detroit Free Press as a third-team Class A All-State, first-team All-Metro North and second-team All-Metro pick in basketball. The Southfield Observer & Eccentric named him to their All-Area hoops team and he was also named his squad's Most Valuable Player. As a true freshman, Jones started three of 11 games he played in as a tight end for Eastern Michigan. He also saw action on the defensive line midway through the season, making one solo tackle while grabbing four passes for 12 yards. Jones took over strong-side defensive duties the following season, earning Player of the Week honors twice. He made 47 tackles (28 solos) while ranking second on the squad with 6.5 sacks and 12 stops for losses. He also registered six pressures and a safety. The coaching staff unleashed Jones on opposing ballcarriers in 2006, as he led the Mid American Conference and ranked fifth in the nation with 18.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. The second-team All-MAC pick added four sacks and two pressures while finishing sixth on the squad with 57 tackles (29 solos). He also caused two fumbles. Jones received All-American third-team and All-MAC first-team honors in 2007. He tied for seventh in the NCAA with a career-high 19.5 stops for losses, as he posted 70 tackles (43 solos), the third-best total on the team. He added 10 pressures as he recovered and caused a fumble while breaking up three passes and blocking a kick. In 45 games at Eastern Michigan, Jones started 33 times on defense and three times on offense. He collected 175 tackles (101 solos) with 14 sacks for minus-101 yards and ranks second in school history with 50 stops for losses of 194 yards. He generated 18 quarterback pressures, recovered one fumble and caused three others. He deflected three passes, blocked a kick and registered a safety. He also caught four passes for 12 yards.

Career Notes
Ranks second in school history with 50 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, topped only by Kenny Philpot (74, 1998-2001)...His 50 stops for losses tied John Grace of Marshall (1997-99) for 16th on the Mid-American Conference all-time record list...Registered 19.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2007, the most by an Eagle since Philpot's 24.5 in 2001.

High School
Attended Latham (Southfield, Mich.) High School, playing football for head coach Mike Avery...Enjoyed an outstanding prep career as a football and basketball player...Named first-team All-Oakland Athletic Association as a senior, recording 27 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles and seven interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns...Also caught 25 passes for 395 yards and eight touchdowns as a receiver... The Detroit News named him the 44th-best player on the Blue Chip list in the state of Michigan, as he also added All-Metro North honors...Started as a junior and senior on the school's basketball team...Led the hoops squad to the Class A Regionals in 2003-04 after averaging 24 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two blocks...Chosen Most Valuable Player in the Motor City Roundball Classic, as he also garnered third-team Class A All-State pick as well as a first-team All-Metro North recognition...As a junior, Jones was selected by the Detroit Free Press as a third-team Class A All-State, first-team All-Metro North and second-team All-Metro pick in basketball...The Southfield Observer & Eccentric named him to their All-Area hoops team and he was also named his squad's Most Valuable Player.

In college, what player hit you the hardest? Who was the recipient of your best hit?: No one. Ball State QB Nate Davis

What TV-show marathon will keep you on the couch all day?: Fresh Prince or Martin

What are the five most-played songs in your iPod? What's the one song you hope nobody ever finds out is in your iPod?: Lil' Wayne songs, Mary M. Blige -- Just Fine

What celebrity would play you in the movie version of your life and why?: Denzel Washington because he is simply great.

What is one thing your teammates don't know about you?: Nothing

What reality TV show would you like to be on and why?: Real World so I can act a fool

What's your proudest moment in football? Proudest moment off the field?: Receiving 1st team All-MAC 2007. Being invited to talk at my high school football banquet.

When you play Madden, what team do you use? Do you put yourself on the team?: Cowboys, Jaguars, Packers

Who has been the biggest influence on your football career and how?: High school football coach Stephon Thompson

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Jason Jones Selected by Tennessee in the Second Round of the NFL Draft

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