Old man Ricky Jones still has some tricks left in him.
He’s not afraid to use them either.
He did last weekend in Indiana’s 33-28 loss to Wake Forest. The fifth-year senior receiver hauled in eight catches for 208 yards. It wasn’t a coming out party for Jones, who caught just three passes for 18 yards in the two previous games, as much as he said it’s a reminder that he didn’t come back for a fifth season to fill up space.
“I had this goal when I got here that I wanted to change the program and really leave my mark on Indiana football,” Jones said. “Once my four years had passed, I hadn’t quite done that yet. So here I am.”
Teammates were already starting to call Jones “Grandpa” last season. Now the 22-year old smirks when the word “Great Grandpa” is thrown around. He can’t shake off the “old man” tag if he wanted to.
The veteran’s 208 receiving yards last week ranked No. 5 in program history for a receiver in a single game. He shrugged the record off, saying he didn’t stay around to be a standout on a losing team.
Jones came back to leave a winner.
“Getting this team back a bowl game is what I want,” he said. “The stats, the numbers, I don’t care about that stuff. I just want to win these games and be a champion.”
Jones isn’t built like a typical outside receiver, standing at 5-foor-10 and weighing 185 pounds, but head coach Kevin Wilson and offensive coordinator Kevin Johns have both pointed out that Jones doesn’t play small. He fits on the outside.
His redshirt senior season is just his second as an active threat to see playing time and his first on the outside. He arrived in Bloomington by way of Sarasota, Florida, as a slot receiver but was slowed early by a pair of significant ankle injuries that kept him sidelined.
While he waited his turn, Jones learned from the likes of Cody Latimer, Kofi Hughes and Shane Wynn before him. He studied their moves and how they got open, and today he’s using his own versions of their strengths to get open.
Redshirt junior cornerback Rashard Fant guarded those guys once before. He sees bits and pieces of their game in Jones when he matches up opposite of him in practice.
“He knows the ins and outs,” Fant said. “He’s studied behind the Cody Latimers, the Kofis, the Shanes. He knows all their tricks.”
Jones’ experience can’t be taught or easily replicated. He’s a journeyman of sorts, trusting Wilson and Johns to find a space for him at the right time. He said he’s remained loyal to his coaches because they remained loyal to him throughout his recruiting process half a decade ago.
“When they give you so much, you have to give it back,” Jones said.
And he’s done just that, teaching the new generation of youngsters like sophomore Nick Westbrook the tools of the trade. All throughout the summer, Westbrook would follow Jones around to study him.
Westbrooks needs Jones just like Jones needed Latimer, Hughes and Wynn.
“That’s why you really play the game, man,” Jones said. “I’d have never met dudes like Nick Westbrook if it wasn’t for this. He’s like a brother. You see him grow, you see him succeed. That’s a great feeling seeing some guy you’ve led become great.”
Jones said he owes it to his teammates to teach as much as he can while he still has his chances.
Not every game is going to be a 200-yard outing, and Jones gets that. He doesn’t expect a repeat of Wake Forest’s performance to come easy this weekend against Michigan State. Some of that is out of his control.
But regardless of the week, he can teach. And the old man still has some lessons worth giving.
“I feel like I have more to put out,” Jones said. “Any way I can help whether it be teaching, blocking, catches, special teams or whatever, I want to do it. I want to leave my mark and make sure people remember my name.”
