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'10 NJ RB Tony Jones (Signed to Colorado)

Buffnik

Real name isn't Nik
Club Member
Junta Member
Rivals
Scout
ESPN

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Don Bosco Prep HS (Ramsey, NJ)

Ht: 5-foot-8
Wt: 178 lbs
Forty: 4.56 secs

Rivals Rating: 3*; #14 All-Purpose RB
Scout Rating: 3*; #107 RB
ESPN Rating: 2* - 74 grade; #120 RB
 
Here are the Rivals articles on Tony Jones' commitment to the Buffs:

Surprise commitment for the Buffaloes
"I love Tony Jones as a player," said Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell. "He may be short and lack great size, but he has a powerful lower body, he runs with an attitude and anger and he is very shifty.

"I honestly think he has a chance to be a huge surprise in college like Ray Rice was at Rutgers or Steve Slaton was at West Virginia and Colorado could have landed the surprise of the 2010 class. If he was three inches taller and had better grades, he's a 40 offer kid."

RB Jones explains his choice
"I just like the coaches a lot. I'm going out there on the 15th of January and I know it will be beautiful out there. I think it will be a great fit for me. They don't have many running backs, and they don't have one running back committed yet. I'll be the only one that's committed and I think that's kind of big."

"Coach Riddell, I talk to him a lot. He's a very nice guy. Coach Hagan, their running backs coach, is very nice, too. I've got a pretty good relationship with the coaches and that's what made me feel good about it. I was talking to the head coach and he's just someone that really loves his players. He wants guys to graduate and get their degree. He doesn't just want to win championships. He wants you to be successful."
 
Here's the post from the NJ.com blog that was first to break the story (or right at the same time as Rivals):

Tony Jones Commits to Colorado
"I think it's a great fit. It's going to be a really good place for Tony,'' (coach Greg) Toal said. "There's no doubt that he's going to work hard to make this work.''

Jones talks about hard work like it's an old friend. He revels in its rewards and dares other players across the line of scrimmage to try to beat him at it.

"It's all about hard work. Everything I do,'' Jones said. "Coach Toal once told me that if I just work hard in school and work hard on the football field, what I want will come. He has stayed on me, even when he hasn't had to.''

Jones admired Hawkins for his hard recruiting work. He said many other coaches were going strictly by game tapes and physical measurements to size up his potential. Jones liked that Hawkins came to see him.

"He came out here himself, not just his assistants,'' Jones said. "He sat right there in Coach's office and we had a great conversation. We talked about everything.''

************

P.S. There's some good game highlight video of Jones on that site if you follow the link.
 
Here's the NJ.com write-up of Jones being named Player of the Year in New Jersey:

Tony Jones of Don Bosco Prep is State Offensive Player of the Year/
Jones made quite a first impression on Greg Toal, the coach at the Ramsey school.

"I just said, `Wow,' " Toal said. "He was a special player right away."

Jones, now just 5-8, 180 pounds, continues to prove that size doesn't matter. Jones was named Gatorade Player of the Year for New Jersey after this senior season in which he scored a school-record 36 touchdowns, won his fourth straight Non-Public, Group 4 state playoff title and helped the Ironmen to the consensus No. 1 ranking in the nation with a 12-0 record that included victories over top programs from California and Alabama.

In a way, Jones said, his size actually helped him become the player he is.

"I'm low to the ground, so it's hard to see me when I'm behind the line," he said. "By the time they see me, I'm already five yards downfield."

"He's like an eel," Toal said. "He's slippery and can quickly change direction. He's pretty amazing. He works as hard as anyone, but he's also gifted and can run a 4.4 40-yard dash. There's no question, he's the most explosive player in the state."

Those skills and speed combined with an unmatched work ethic made the Paterson native unstoppable.

"He worked so hard to make himself into an incredible player," Toal said. "His off-season workout is tremendous, and he took it up a notch after a slightly disappointing junior year."

Jones worked through the summer to put behind him a junior year marred by a broken collarbone. He started strong this season and never let up, recording his best numbers against the best teams on Don Bosco's schedule.

Jones rushed 174 times for 1,387 yards (7.97 per carry) and 34 TDs, caught 13 passes for 226 yards and a TD and returned a kickoff for a TD -- despite sitting out half of six games that were blowout victories. In the seven games in which he rushed for fewer than 150 yards, Don Bosco won by a combined score of 351-35, including a season-opening, 30-6 victory over California powerhouse De La Salle.
 
Here are a couple Scout articles:

Jones Loses Offers
Ramsey, N.J., native Tony Jones held two offers from Michigan and Boston College, however a source close to his recruiting picture told Scout.com today that both of those opportunities are no longer available to him.

(Speculation is concerns over academics - Buffnik)

Who is on the Rise in the East?
RB Tony Jones 5-7/185 Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep

Current Rank: #123 RB Jones seemed to be as driven a player as we saw all season. he seemed bound and determined to prove that he could play football at an FBS school, despite his lack of size. Jones proved against some big time competition this season that he can play at the highest level.
 
[video=youtube;ijZkng9B-LQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijZkng9B-LQ[/video]

[video=youtube;Qpcz1vJF9c4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpcz1vJF9c4&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;9vaBKAl1QeQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vaBKAl1QeQ&feature=related[/video]
 
Rivals had previously run an article discussing Jones' academic struggles:

Jones focused on getting grades right

"I'm not even focused on (recruiting) right now because basically I'm in my school work and I'm not even into all that right now," Jones said. "It's the No. 1 thing that I have to do so I'm really focusing on that. Whatever comes to the table comes to the table.

"I'm just really focused on my homework and my tests just getting all my grades up so I can be qualified for colleges to start scouting me."

According to Jones, though, the (Boston College) Eagles are holding back on an offer - like some other schools, too - because they want to make sure he gets his grades in order. That has been his major focus recently in the hopes that more programs will get involved once he gets those squared away.

"I'm not sure (if schools are holding back because of that) yet because I haven't really asked about that but I'm pretty sure it is," Jones said. "I know that they know I'm trying my hardest to do better so I'm pretty sure they know what I'm trying to do. They know I'm working hard and that's all I can really do.

"That's the main thing I'm just really focused on my grades, me getting my grades. The colleges are going to start talking to me when my grades are really good."
 
Maxpreps Profile

Lemming Notes: His head coach Greg Toal was telling me about Tony when he was a freshman in high school. He's the most explosive back he's ever coached with great vision, has outstanding running instincts, and the ability to break tackles. He has not grown much since that freshman year, he is still 5-7 but he has put on weight. He's still as cat-quick as he was as a freshman. Stats–Averaged over 7 yds per carry playing in the toughest league in New Jersey. He has been All-Conference each of the past two years. Grades–His GPA is 2.5. Benches 225 and has a 32" VJ.
 
Sounds like a possible Speedy part 2. Hope he has his grades in order since he can come in and play right away.
 
man this huge, really looks the part of a strong running back for his size. Welcome Tony Jones, cant wait to see ya in the B&G....GO BUFFS!!!!
 
article on Jones from his last game(some history also)
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/hs_sports/stapleton/78622802.html

Good news!!
“He’s ready to go [academically], qualified and cleared across the board, and all his ducks are in a row,” Don Bosco assistant coach Billy Lopez said. “I think Colorado stole a real good kid from Jersey, to be honest with you. Tony’s done everything we asked of him here, and he has earned this opportunity.”

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Don_Boscos_Tony_Jones_chooses_University_of_Colorado.html
 
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article on Jones from his last game(some history also)
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/hs_sports/stapleton/78622802.html

Good news!!
“He’s ready to go [academically], qualified and cleared across the board, and all his ducks are in a row,” Don Bosco assistant coach Billy Lopez said. “I think Colorado stole a real good kid from Jersey, to be honest with you. Tony’s done everything we asked of him here, and he has earned this opportunity.”

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/Don_Boscos_Tony_Jones_chooses_University_of_Colorado.html

Nice find. Rep!

That's fantastic flippin' news!

I guess Hawkins did a transcript review when he visited Don Bosco this week.

:thumbsup:
 
Good news, but you never truly know until August. I am cautiously optimistic, but this situation is not over.
 
I hope this is true, we need RBs in a bad way, but I'm now conditioned to believe it when I see it. Simmons was "cleared" like 5 times this summer before he finally was. Great job by the young man if he pulls it off, he'll definitely be needed.

BTW, how cool would it be to have Mr. Jones and Mister Jones in the same backfield.
 
Pleasant surprise, it sounds like Hawk found a real gem. Anyone that can put up those numbers and highlights against the kind of competition that school plays against is a great pickup imo. I'd still like to see us pick up a back with some size to him this year, 210+ lbs.
 
Like this post from a Rivals poster. This is from the Mainboard and looks like this poster is from New Jersey. Not a Buff fan, by the way..

"If you weren't wowed by him then not sure what you were watching. If it weren't for his grade issues(which seem to be a thing of the past now) he would have been a much higher profile recruit. Mike Farrell said if Jones were 3 inches taller and his grades were in order then he'd be a 40 offer kid. That tells you the talent level of Tony. He was the most explosive player in NJ this year and it wasn't even close. Colorado got a steal with this kid who has been showing flashes of brilliance for a national powerhouse since his Frosh year of HS. Good to see everything work out for him."
 
Love everything I'm reading with this guy....As long as he gets those grades up to par, i'm excited to see him in the B&G! Welcome aboard Tony!
 
Something we already knew but was confirmed by Hawkins in this qoute.


``I can tell Coach Hawkins really loves the kids,'' Jones said. ``He just wants to see them get through college and get their degree. He's not worried about the national championship. He's worried about us as people first.''
 
Sounds almost like a budding MoJoDrew or EB. He's already bigger than Rodney.

At any rate, sounds like a great addition to the Buffs. Welcome Tony!
 
anyone realize that those highlights above are from his frosh and junior years? :wow: he must be a beast....
 
Must have had a great semester and boosted his GPA a bit..... Or we are getting conflicting info. I don't think Hawkins flys out there and then offers if the kid isn't likely a full-qualifier. Very glad to have him and like his attitude. Owns a lunch pale.
 
Welcome to the B&G! The foothills are your new playground - now go run wild!

A question for our east-coasters: Does Bosco get as much reverse-love from area fans as do other area powerhouses (i.e., Mullen, Mater Dei, SL Carroll, Jenks, Hoover, etc.)?
 
Props to Dan Hawkins on this one too, apparently his personal visit made all the difference. Gotta give Hawk credit when due...
 
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