WATCH: EDGE Anthony Jones looks back on transfer to UCLA
It took two transfer cycles, but UCLA convinced edge Anthony Jones that Westwood should be his new home earlier this offseason.
It’s the fourth stop in as many years for Jones, who was previously at Michigan State, Indiana and Oregon.
Last year, the Bruins missed out on adding the 6-foot-5, 265-pounder when he left the Hoosiers and joined the Spartans.
“I knew a lot of the coaches over here,” Jones said Tuesday. “I knew some players over here. Last year, we weren’t able to make it work. Coach Meat (Demetrice Martin) being over here is a big help even though he’s the DB coach. That’s like family to me.
“I’ve known him known coach Malloe for a long time. Then having coach Jet (Jethro Franklin) come in here with all his experience, it was kind of a no-brainer. Being close to home. All that.”
UCLA has struggled defensively through two games, but Jones collected the first sack this past weekend in the 30-23 road loss to UNLV. The Bruins have had previous success up front on defense, and that is giving Jones confidence they can do so again looking ahead.
“It’s really just trusting the process,” he said. “Getting in with coach Malloe, coach Jet and understanding the little ins and outs of the defense. The defense is known to work. So, we just gotta learn how to play off one another. That’s just when I bring up Gary and Keanu and being able to play off those guys.
“They make my job easy. So, over here, it’s really fit defense. So, if Gary is right here I’m gonna just fold inside. Getting to know those relationships if some guys go down, just being able to get other guys in there that can do the same thing.”
EDGE Anthony Jones media availability (9/9)
Watch his full press conference after Tuesday’s practice below:
BruinBlitz publisher Matt Moreno contributed to this report.
