Kyron Jones not letting injury keep him off the field
From a three-star athlete out of North Carolina, playing running back, to making his first two career starts at safety as a redshirt sophomore. It’s been quite the journey for Georgia defensive back Kyron Jones.
“That was a big moment for me, especially being in the system three years and finally getting a first start,” Jones said Tuesday. “It was great, I was excited, and it was just great being out there with the guys.”
His first two career starts came despite a hand injury that has forced him to wear a club.
“Nobody would necessarily just want to play with a club on. And it’s not something that people would wanna do,” Jones said. “But I feel like I’ve figured out ways to play with it.”
Playing hurt is just part of the game for Jones. Even if he’s less than 100 percent, if he has a choice, Jones wants to play.
“I could sit out, but I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get on the field, even if it means wearing a club. Well, I mean, so it all just goes back to I love football,” Jones said. “And if there’s a way I can play, whether it’s something dealing with an injury and they’re gonna let me play, I’m more of an advocate of playing cause I just love the game and I wanna play as much as possible.”
Through two games, Jones has four tackles with three of those coming in the 28-6 win over Austin Peay. Since arriving in Athens as a 6-foot, 205-pound converted running back, Jones has taken on the identity of a “thumper.”
“He’s had a good camp. He’s been in our system now for, I guess, three years,” head coach Kirby Smart said Tuesday. “And any time you’ve got someone that’s been in your system for three years, they kind of know the checks and balances. And they know how to make calls and how to adjust things and what to expect. He’s physical, he’s a good tackler. He’s fast, and those three qualities make for good defensive backs.”
It was those traits that Georgia looked for when Jones was coming out of high school. That was despite him playing most of his snaps on the offensive side of the ball.
“Yeah, size, speed is how we evaluate them. They’ve got size and speed. It’s a criteria for that position,” Smart said. “Toughness would be in there, too … Kyron had physicality to him from being a running back. It’s a requirement that you’ve got to be able to tackle. …”
While Jones’s story is unusual, this type of transition has happened before at Georgia.
Robert Edwards, a teammate of Smart, made the reverse switch of Jones, going from defensive back to running back. Meanwhile, years later, Bruce Thornton made the switch from running back to defensive back. Despite the switches, both Edwards and Thornton went on to be taken in the NFL Draft.
Jones’ teammate, defensive back Todd Robinson, can relate since he played quarterback in high school,
Jones will certainly hope to become another success story for Georgia. But first, he is hoping that he can make a highlight play and intercept a pass with a club on.
“[That] would be crazy to catch a pick with a club on,” Jones said. “That’s something I would love to happen.”