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The Indiana Daily Student

sports football

Junior receiver bounces back from injury

Only a few weeks into his freshman season, Ricky Jones was tackled from behind while running with the ball and broke his ankle in the process.

The next season, the 5-foot-10 receiver out of Florida made a hard plant into the field during practice. His ankle broke for the second time. These injuries held him back in his redshirt sophomore season as well. He lost some of his ability to reach full speed or break in and out of routes.

But as the 2015 season draws nearer, Jones feels like his old self again, if not better.

“I’m back to the old Ricky, I feel like,” Jones said. “But I’m a new Ricky now. I’m smarter, better, bigger.”

He has become an elder statesman of sorts on a receiving corps whose leading returning receiver had eight receptions last year. Freshmen and sophomores make up the majority of the group fighting for time this fall. Jones and fellow junior Mitchell Paige have become the resident leaders, although they have little playing experience themselves.

Younger receivers have taken to calling Jones “the grandfather” because he is the oldest in the group. Jokes go around that Jones is in his 10th year with the Hoosiers.

“I think it’s also a respect thing,” he said. “A lot of younger dudes see me as the older guy they look up to.”

But on the field, Jones has put himself in position to compete for a starting spot this season. He and offensive coordinator Kevin Johns have said Jones and senior quarterback Nate Sudfeld have been connecting well all offseason. Jones went as far to say it’s the best connection Sudfeld has had in a while.

Johns said he feels the Hoosiers are content with players stepping up at slot receiver, so Jones is staying on the outside as of now. He might not be as tall as some of his competitors, but he has physical gifts that separate him.

“The thing with Ricky is he’s so athletic,” Johns said. “His body allows him to do things. He gets in and out of breaks; he can get off the press where some guys can’t.”

Jones cannot control his height, he said. But he can control other aspects. That is why he is in the weight room as much as possible trying to gain weight. That way he can go up against a stronger defender while still beating them with his speed.

He still goes for jump balls and doesn’t let his size dictate the way he plays.

“The media might say, ‘Oh he’s a small guy,’” Jones said. “But I play like I’m 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4.”

Despite each injury that delayed his career or his lack of imposing height, Jones said he is now where he wanted to be a few years ago. He is in a position to play. He is a leader to a group of young talent.

He can utilize all of this as motivation. He views it all as a trail of events that put him where he is now.

“I got a story behind my whole situation, everything I’ve been through over the past two or three years.”

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