His college career had just ended with a tough loss in the Foster Farms Bowl, and like many of his Indiana football teammates, wide receiver Ricky Jones Jr. was upset. He didn’t know where his career was headed.
However, that disappointment and uncertainty would not last long. While sitting next to teammate and running back Devine Redding in the locker room, Redding struck up a conversation at their neighboring lockers.
“Hey Rick, I appreciate your work ethic, I love how you played, just do one thing for me,” Redding told him.
“Please, don’t you ever give up on this dream.”
Jones said the moment hit him hard. To realize that him chasing that dream and other people were counting on him to make it come true served as great motivation. Now, he’s using that mindset every day as he prepares for the NFL.
“All the haters and the reporters saying I can’t do it, that’s not true motivation for me,” Jones said. “Even though it leaves a chip on my shoulder, actually seeing my family and friends close to me believing in me and believing in myself is the reason I still go.”
After snatching three passes for 65 yards in that 26-24 Foster Farms Bowl loss to Utah, Jones finished his IU career with 111 receptions for 1,814 yards (12th all-time at Indiana) and eight touchdowns in 42 games (26 starts).
Those numbers could’ve been higher had Jones not sustained a season-ending ankle injury his freshman season which forced him to redshirt that year. However, that time spent waiting was ultimately rewarded in his final two seasons with the program. That setback still motivates Jones to this day, as does the high-profile schools who pulled away their interest during his senior year of high school.
Jones currently trains with former IU wide receiver Kofi Hughes in Chicago. Hughes was a junior when Jones was a freshman at IU.
“He was always like a big brother to me at the wide receiver position, seeing the different plays he made,” Jones said. “Just a guy I could look up to.”
Hughes reached out to Jones about working to together and having Jones be his first NFL client midway through the season. The decision to work with Hughes was easy for Jones because he wanted to work with someone who believed in him.
They focus mainly on footwork, balance, agility and hip ability, and Jones said he’s already seen tremendous improvement in his game.
Hughes also provides dietary feedback. For example, he encourages Jones to eat a bagel with peanut butter every day.
Even though Jones is still less than a month removed from the season and feeling beat up from it during workouts, the workouts aren’t the most challenging part of training for him.
Eating peanut butter is.
“I hate peanut butter with a passion,” Jones said, laughing. “Kofi has been stressing it, like, ‘hey, you’ve got to eat a bagel with peanut butter this morning, you need to put peanut butter that, you need to peanut butter on everything.’ So he’s been stressing that, and I hate peanut butter, but it’s part of training so I suck it up and eat it every morning.”
Jones still keeps in touch with other former IU teammates too, such as Redding, wide receiver Mitchell Paige, defensive tackle Ralph Green III, linebacker Marcus Oliver and offensive lineman Dan Feeney, all of whom are also preparing for the NFL.
Social media such as Instagram and SnapChat have also allowed Jones to stay in close contact.
He said he plans to follow up over the phone with Green following his performance in the East-West Shrine Game.
“I know he killed it down there,” Jones said of Green.
Like Green, Jones also had a chance to showcase his talents this month. He competed at the College Gridiron Showcase in Bedford, Texas, from Jan. 7-11, which was attended by 120 pro scouts.
It was a “big time” opportunity which allowed Jones to tell different scouts his story. Jones said they didn’t know much about him because he wasn’t a high-profile player and wanted to know more.
“All I need is one team to hear my story,” he said.
Jones hasn’t heard from any teams yet, but isn’t worried.
Not too long ago, he also received more advice from another IU teammate in wide receiver Leon Thornton.
The message was simple, and it’s one Jones continues to use on his journey: “earmuffs and blinders.”
“You don’t listen to all the media. You don’t look for your name and see whether you’re going to end up drafted,” Jones said.
“You just put your head down and you work, and it’ll all come.”
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