By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
A 5-foot-9, 160-pound corner may as well report to the stadium with a target painted on the back of his jersey, but Catawba sophomore Terrence “Bubba” Jones doesn’t mind when SAC offensive coordinators try to pick on him.
“Because of my size, I’m never gonna get much respect, but I like the challenge of knowing they’re coming after me every game,” Jones said. “That gives me opportunities. It’s a chance to make plays.”
Jones survives because he’s not only competitive, he’s one of the best athletes on Catawba’s roster.
Great speed, great quickness and a vertical leap that DBs coach Bob Lancaster swears is a David Thompsonesque 44 inches.
Plus, he’s fearless, and he throws that 160 pounds around with so much authority the Indians will even send him on an occasional blitz. Just ask the Tusculum running back he flattened two weeks ago about how physically Catawba’s No. 20 plays. A borderline welterweight, Jones hits like a light heavy.
Like teammates Kemp McSween, a starting guard, and key receiver Eric Morman, Jones is a product of 4A Richmond County, a football factory that owns six state championships and annually takes on a world-class schedule.
Richmond County had to strap it on every Friday, just as Catawba has to strap it on every Saturday in the SAC.
“You generally get great kids from Richmond County, kids that have had good coaching and kids that have a competitive edge to them,” Lancaster said. “Jones is small, but he’ll fight ya. Up 40 or down 40, he’ll fight ya.”
Jones fought his way onto the Richmond County varsity as a junior and established himself as a starting corner.
“I was the lock-down corner, taking on the best receiver on the other team,” Jones said. “In two years on varsity, I gave up one touchdown, and it seemed like every team we played had a great receiver. I went up against a lot of Division I guys.”
Jones tangled with talents such as Independence’s Mohamed Massaquoi and lived to tell about it. Dominick Magazu, who signed with Boston College coming out of Providence High, accounted for the only TD against him.
Furman, Wofford and Winston-Salem State, schools that play a level up from Catawba, showed interest in Jones, but size concerns detoured scholarship offers.
Catawba assistant John Fitz liked what he saw of Jones on film and discussions with Richmond County coaches convinced him Jones was a guy the Indians needed.
“They told me, ‘Jones ain’t big, but he’ll give you all he’s got,’ ” Fitz said.
And he has.
Catawba had a terrific 11-win team in 2007. Jones provided depth and got into nine games as a DB and kick returner as a true freshman. Only a handful of true freshmen, including emerging defensive line star Brandon Sutton, got on the field for the Indians last season.
“I came in wanting to play and they put the opportunity in my hands to play early,” Jones said. “Coach Lancaster was a strict evaluator and you have to do what you’re supposed to do, but it was a good year for me.”
Jones’ role has expanded as a sophomore to starting corner, and he has 22 tackles and four breakups.
“He realizes teams are probably coming after him, but he wouldn’t have it any other way,” Lancaster said. “He has a linebacker’s mentality in a DB’s body.”
Jones has established himself as a guy who goes 100 percent in practice as well as games. He’s not as vocal as some, but he’ll be counted upon as one of Catawba’s leaders in 2009 and 2010.
“He practices like a champion,” Sutton said. “When you’re playing as a true freshmen, it’s hard to be asked to make plays and to have to make plays, but he did that. And he’s only going to get better.”
Jones’ explosiveness makes him a candidate to produce big plays on the special teams orchestrated by Fitz, and he was named Catawba’s Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against Wingate on Saturday.
“Jones is so quick he can time it up, turn the edge and make plays,” Fitz said. “Blocking kicks from the outside is very similar to waiting for that gun to go off in track. You come off low, get gone and make that run.”
Jones missed a few tackles at Wingate, one on a Bulldog touchdown, but he did his best to redeem himself. Fitz said Jones was hurting from wrist and shoulder nicks, but he was determined to stay in.
He managed to get a hand on a PAT attempt and blocked a field goal.
“I had to get that field goal because I was upset over missing a tackle,” Jones said. “I turned it up a notch and came around the end.”
Tough as this year has been for Catawba (4-4), Jones is determined to win the last two games, both for the seniors and to gather momentum for 2009.
“No one we’ve played has dominated us, but there’s been a few big plays that have beaten us,” he said. “I attribute that to lack of experience on the field, myself included. But if we can win these last two, we’ll get some confidence and get the ball rolling for next year.”
Catawba coach Chip Hester admitted this year’s “excruciating losses” have cost him sleep and hair, but the future is bright with players such as Jones returning.
“He can fly and you have to just love his competitive nature,” Hester said. “He’s not big in stature, but his heart is huge, and that’s what this game is all about.”