When he gets off the bus and heads to Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, he’ll be running a college football program that has the greatest sense of urgency this season He’s not getting bigger than University Alabama, in terms of football, and Mac Jones wouldn’t have it any other way.Before setting foot on campus, talking amicably with Nick Saban and bonding with his teammates, Jones was perfectly prepared for embrace the feeling of being a starting quarterback for the sport’s biggest name
Jones took notes on their leadership, got fans excited on A-Day, and even proved Saban to be as competitive as the six-time champion. Last season the former four-star had his chance He replaced an injured Tagovailoa and with Steve Sarkisian calling games Jones responded by leading Alabama’s offense to over 40 points against Arkansas and Auburn
Hailing from Jacksonville, Fla., fended off talented freshman at Bryce Young Some doubt Jones’ ability to lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship; however, those who have worked with him believe the masses are going to have a huge surprise
Quarterback coach and 6 Points owner Denny Thompson was with Jones throughout the summer
As the owner of the first quarterback facility in North Florida, Thompson said the biggest thing Jones had improved was being able to throw with balance on an established base and using the ground to generate more « juice » on football
“I’ve known Mac since he was in sixth grade,” said Thompson “He’s always been a natural thrower of the ball He’s always had good precision The main thing with him was to get more explosive through his moves and his mechanics He wanted to generate more power with his throws and be able to move around the pocket Using the ground and keeping a firm base he will be able to throw good balls with pressure around him This will make him more confident in pressure situations «
Thompson has trained some of the best talent in the job, but what impresses him is Jones’s knowledge
“Mac is so invested in the mental part of the game,” said Thompson “When we had camps with our guys from the SEC, CCA, and NFL he was there to help others. ‘effort and the knowledge he has and how he explains the game, it’s rare that anyone has that kind of knowledge seeing only a few starts He’s here for a massive year and I can’t wait «
He absorbs information like Greg McElroy, but is Jones more of a competitor than AJ McCarron?
He argued with his center Barrett Jones in the 2013 BCS National Title game because they both wanted a good call
McCarron also had a weakness for proving coach Saban that he was the man for the job
“Mac is a dog,” said Thompson “He’s a leader and a dog He’s gonna get the job done no matter what it takes Mac is unique in that he’s not a manager. game, but he can handle any game Anything Sarkisian wants him to do, he will do it well. He can execute any offense successfully «
Jones took a few hits and made some mistakes, but responded like a leader.He passed for 335 passing yards with four touchdowns and put the Tide in a situation to force overtime, until ‘a missed basket occurs late in the settlement
He even took shots against Michigan, who wore a strong defensive front, but Jones threw for 327 yards with three scores and propelled Alabama to a 35-16 victory in the Citrus Bowl
Coach Slack had Jones in camp when he was eight He worked with him on his arm movement and continued to provide Jones with advice on how to be a successful quarterback
Aside from his family, Slack was also one of Jones ‘guides to becoming a great young man off the pitch as well. Speaking with yours from Touchdown Alabama Magazine, Slack compared Jones’ potential on the pitch to Joe Burrow (former LSU quarterback) while saying his mindset resembles that of Tom Brady
“He’s always been a great talent,” Slack said of Jones “I think he’s set for a Joe Burrow type year. I see him in a position to have one of the greatest years of his life He is definitely NFL material and people will be surprised «
After mentioning Brady’s name in the conversation, Slack said Jones is constantly looking for ways to improve
« He calls me, texts me and wants extra things to create an advantage Tom Brady has always been a contender He was drafted in the sixth round and after six Super Bowls he’s still planting seeds of greatness He always finds ways to improve and be better Being a competitor is acquiring the idea of staying in a learning state Mac is constantly learning and this has developed him into what he is today «
One thing that impressed Slack is how well Jones has taken over the quarterback room
“He gave me a tour of the Alabama facility when I was there,” Slack said “In the quarterback room Mac has his own office where he watches the movie To see the mental process he has, he’s in a great situation with Steve Sarkisian «
Jones is in a position to compete in a national championship, but he still needs one thing to win over Tide fans
“He has to have a signing win,” Slack said. “It has to be early in the season against a big opponent, but he needs that signing win If he has a game where he sets up big numbers against a huge opponent and Alabama win, that will calm the opponents «
Joe Dickinson, Jones’ personal trainer, identified Jones as someone with potential in the NFL early in his childhood
He was the first to train the former state champion at Bolles school and he is proud to see how far Jones has come
“Mac Jones was a kid who could naturally throw the ball,” said Dickinson “He has all the tools, we just honed them He’s a driven guy who had a great desire to be a quarterback from college We built him as a quarterback and made him understand what it’s like to be a college quarterback He’s a very sharp kid and he’s a grinder He takes that very seriously and is a natural leader «
When interviewing after the Iron Bowl, you could tell from Jones’ face that he didn’t have his best game
He took the field against his first major defensive test, but Dickinson’s joy came with the way his pupil progressed
“Every quarterback that has played has had unfortunate things,” Dickinson said “That stuff happens, but what happens after that is where we see what you are Mac started to play after that Mistakes didn’t break it It’s harder than people think «
Although he gained attention as a candidate for Heisman, Jones is not the type to receive individual accolades
If you hear him speaking in interviews, he’s about winning It’s about winning and winning championships
« He’s not the type to draw attention to himself, » Dickinson said of Jones « He’s a silent assassin He goes out there and calls attention to the team He’s focused on the team’s goals and you can tell he’s delighted to be back with these guys. «
Regarding comparisons to Joe Burrow, Dickinson said Jones could do some of the same things
“I don’t know Joe Burrow,” Dickinson said “I know Mac has great guys around him and a great coach He can probably do what Burrow did, but Burrow has done it before. he’s got the kind of year Burrow had, people will remember Mac Jones’s name I’m proud of him I want him to play well I’m proud to be associated with him «
When he takes the clique, throws a pass and takes on Missouri the only thing on Jones’ mind will be the work and sacrifice it takes to put him in that position. He’s ready to strike for greatness and this season. will be fun to watch it do
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Stephen M Smith is editor and senior editor of Touchdown Alabama magazine You can « like » him on Facebook or « follow » him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith
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World News – USA – Mac Jones is ready for a ‘Joe Burrow like year’ in Alabama this season
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
