Former IU receiver Ricky Jones felt confident about he performed at Indiana’s Pro Day last week.
Now Jones is hoping to combine those measurables with his special teams experience to create enough value for him to get a shot in the NFL.
“I felt like I did great,” Jones said. “I gave it my all. I’m blessed to hear back from scouts and everything.”
With 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams represented at IU’s Pro Day, Jones unofficially ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds, benched 18 reps, recorded a vertical leap of 31.5 inches, leapt 9 feet 7 inches in the broad jump, completed the three-cone agility drill in 6.5 seconds and the 60-yard shuttle in 11.17 seconds.
That combination of strength, speed, agility and verticality paid dividends during his final season as a Hoosier both as a receiver and special teams player.
Jones finished with 53 receptions for 848 yards and three touchdowns, his catches and yardage good for eighth in the Big Ten last year. He also had four tackles and a blocked punt on special teams, the latter earning him special teams player of the week honors from the program following the Northwestern game in late October.
When Jones received that award, former IU head coach Kevin Wilson said Jones showed NFL value with his willingness to play on special teams.
Because of his size, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Jones knew he had to offer more than just his skillset as a receiver if he wanted to make it in the pros. He said he also saw it as an advantage given some of the top players play only on the offensive side or only on the defensive side of the ball.
“Being on special teams, I know Coach Wilson made that a big emphasis,” Jones said. “I wanted to play special teams to give me an advantage, because I knew I wasn’t a 6-5, 4.2-speed type of guy.”
Much like Wilson did in late October, current Indiana head coach Tom Allen also used Jones and his special teams experience as an example for the program’s current players when they began spring ball.
“He was able to be excellent on special teams,” Allen said. “I think that, as a receiver, sometimes guys in college just want to focus on being a great receiver and they don’t understand what the 53-man roster really looks like.
“We broke it down and used him as an example as far as his effort and execution as a specialist for us and how that’s going to help him, because when these scouts come in, they want to see that film. You can’t show them practice film, it has to be game film. We had a lot of that for Ricky, and he really helped himself for sure.”
Following his workout last Friday, Jones said the feedback from scouts in attendance was positive. They praised his route-running skills and his ability to make tough catches.
It was a welcome result after spending the last two months training with former IU receiver Kofi Hughes in Chicago, at Bommarito Performance Systems in Miami, Florida, and with IU Director of Athletic Performance Rick Danison in Bloomington.
But now the waiting game begins.
Between now and the NFL Draft, scheduled to take place April 27-29 in Philadelphia, Jones will have “a few” private workouts and phone conversations set to take place with teams. He's also scheduled to participate in the Indianapolis Colts' local Pro Day this month.
In the meantime, he’s getting as much advice as he can from former teammates who went through the process such as Hughes, former IU receiver Shane Wynn and former IU running back Stephen Houston.
“It’s a mental game from here, man,” Jones said. “You’ve just got to keep your head on straight. Look forward, don’t pay attention to a lot of the media, because they might not be talking about you. But when you get your chance, make the most of it.”
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.
