Taiwan Jones Declares for the Draft

[Walkon79]

From the Spokesman Review...

"Eastern Washington junior running back Taiwan Jones, who was the Big Sky Conference co-Offensive Most Valuable Player, is entering the National Football League draft, The Spokesman-Review confirmed Friday morning.

Jones, who rushed for 1,742 yards for the FCS national champions despite missing the last two playoff games with an injury, was in California and could not be immediately reached for comment.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from Antioch, Calif., was injured in EWU’s quarterfinal win over North Dakota after rushing for 230 yards.

Jones, who also missed a Big Sky Conference game in early October with an abdominal bruise, had a broken bone in his left foot. That kept him out of the semifinal win over Villanova and last Friday’s come-from-behind 20-19 win over Delaware in the title game in Frisco, Texas.

He also played with a sports hernia his sophomore season and missed the start of his freshman season, when he was a defensive back, because of a broken leg suffered the first week of practice.

Jones, a two-time All-Conference selection and All-American, averaged 145.2 yards rushing and 201.8 all-purpose yards a game, both second in FCS. He averaged 7.1 yards a carry and scored 17 touchdowns.

He finished his career with seven straight 100-yard games and 15 in 24 games. He had five plays in his career of at least 80 yards, 10 of 70 yards or more and 16 of at least 60, including two in his last game."

[superman7515]

Where is he projected to go? I haven't seen him listed anywhere.

[DJKyR0]

From the Spokesman Review...

"Eastern Washington junior running back Taiwan Jones, who was the Big Sky Conference co-Offensive Most Valuable Player, is entering the National Football League draft, The Spokesman-Review confirmed Friday morning.

Jones, who rushed for 1,742 yards for the FCS national champions despite missing the last two playoff games with an injury, was in California and could not be immediately reached for comment.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from Antioch, Calif., was injured in EWU’s quarterfinal win over North Dakota after rushing for 230 yards.

Jones, who also missed a Big Sky Conference game in early October with an abdominal bruise, had a broken bone in his left foot. That kept him out of the semifinal win over Villanova and last Friday’s come-from-behind 20-19 win over Delaware in the title game in Frisco, Texas.

He also played with a sports hernia his sophomore season and missed the start of his freshman season, when he was a defensive back, because of a broken leg suffered the first week of practice.

Jones, a two-time All-Conference selection and All-American, averaged 145.2 yards rushing and 201.8 all-purpose yards a game, both second in FCS. He averaged 7.1 yards a carry and scored 17 touchdowns.

He finished his career with seven straight 100-yard games and 15 in 24 games. He had five plays in his career of at least 80 yards, 10 of 70 yards or more and 16 of at least 60, including two in his last game."

C'mon man, we make a quarterfinal run and people still can't be bothered to differentiate? Sheesh.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Huh? IMO, not a smart move by this kid.

[Walkon79]

C'mon man, we make a quarterfinal run and people still can't be bothered to differentiate? Sheesh.

I didn't catch that! Priceless :)

[danefan]

He's a projected 3rd rounder.

Smart move IMO.

[Reign of Terrier]

if he's projected a third rounder, that is a good decision, he can't really go higher when you think about it

[Poly's Brutality]

Little-known perhaps, but check him out here, including at 2:55 in : http://www.youtube.com/user/OldSchoolEag#p/a/u/1/CCIN6EWoPBo Reminds of Marshawn Lynch run?

[Chemhen]

Might also be worried about getting hurt next year. Get hurt once, no big deal. Get hurt twice, and teams start to see a pattern, whether its there or not.

[I Bleed Purple]

I don't think BSC opponents mind too much.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Where is he projected to go? I haven't seen him listed anywhere.

http://www.jbscouting.com/index.php/blog/1526-jbs-top-100-big-board-jan-14

[HenZoneNation]

That kid is a stud...wouldn't mind my GMEN takin him as a 3rd down back...he ever return punts or kickoffs?

[Professor Chaos]

My "sources" tell me he was worried about the potential vison problems playing another year on that turf could cause. xsmiley_wix

[superman7515]

http://www.jbscouting.com/index.php/blog/1526-jbs-top-100-big-board-jan-14

Yeah... That site doesn't seem like it's going to pan out to be very accurate. A lot of inconsistencies between what they have and what Kiper, Scouts Inc, NFLDraftScout, etc have.

[JohnStOnge]

Chris Landry, the NFL scout and consultant heard on Fox Sports Radio at times, is on a local afternoon call in show in the Baton Rouge area. I called in once to ask about Jones; whether he'd go in the NFL draft, etc. I don't think I asked him which round. Anyway, he was very well aware of Jones and said he would be drafted but that...shockingly...propensity towards injury is a concern that may affect when he is taken.

[smallcollegefbfan]

That kid is a stud...wouldn't mind my GMEN takin him as a 3rd down back...he ever return punts or kickoffs?

He actually did both during the 2010 season. That adds a lot of value.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Chris Landry, the NFL scout and consultant heard on Fox Sports Radio at times, is on a local afternoon call in show in the Baton Rouge area. I called in once to ask about Jones; whether he'd go in the NFL draft, etc. I don't think I asked him which round. Anyway, he was very well aware of Jones and said he would be drafted but that...shockingly...propensity towards injury is a concern that may affect when he is taken.

Yeah that and the fact he runs upright. I was talking about this with someone in the media the other day and his upright running style perhaps has cause him to be hurt more than he should. The major concerns seem to indeed be that he needs to bulk up a little, run lower to avoid the big hits that cause injuries, and stay healthy. He might fall a little if he is not healthy at the Combine. If he shows to be completely healthy at the Combine I fully expect 3rd or 4th round.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Yeah... That site doesn't seem like it's going to pan out to be very accurate. A lot of inconsistencies between what they have and what Kiper, Scouts Inc, NFLDraftScout, etc have.

NFL Draft Scout has him 4th round and they got him 3rd round. Not a big difference. I wouldn't pay attention to Kiper and Mcshay (Scouts Inc) right now. They will join the party. In fact I have been studying Kiper and NFL Draft Scout over the years and have caught Kiper copying them. Mark my words Kiper will move him up the board.

Look around to Scouts Inc and Mel Kiper and anywhere else and mark down the FCS names rated very high. Then look in July and watch how that changes. Many of these websites just copy the feedback they get from their NFL sources and who asks about FCS juniors this time of year? We will see Brian Quick, Ryan Steed, Chris Summers, Norman White, Renard Williams, and some others start creeping up there. I have done early film evals on those guys and they are all NFL draft picks if they have a big 2011 season.

BTW, looks like anyone who has Jones lower than 4th round is way off compared to what NFL told him. Read this article that EWU released. Says Jones got a 2nd or 3rd round projection.

EWU Football -- Projected as Second or Third Round Pick by NFL Committee, Taiwan Jones Declares for NFL Draft
Eastern Washington University All-America running back Taiwan Jones will leave a year early and has officially declared for the 2011 National Football League Draft, the junior from Antioch, Calif., has announced. The deadline for draft-eligible collegiate underclassmen to declare for the April 28-30 draft is today (Jan. 15).

Jones is currently out of town, but intends to return next week for celebrations honoring Eastern for winning the NCAA Division I Championship on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas. The first celebration will take place Friday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., followed by a celebration the next day at noon at River Park Square in Spokane.

“It’s hard leaving my guys who I call my family – my teammates – because that’s what they are to me,” he explained. “It’s kind of bittersweet. It’s hard to depart, but at the same time I’m stepping into a job I love.”

Jones is being represented by Seattle-based sports attorney Cameron Foster, president of Foster & Easley Sports Management Group. Foster has represented other EWU players including Michael Roos, a second-round draft choice by Tennessee in 2005, and Tom Ackerman, a fifth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 1995.

“We are excited to be working with Taiwan,” said Foster. “He is one of those special players that come along just every once in awhile."

Jones said he submitted information to the NFL Draft Advisory Committee by a Dec. 15 deadline in order to get a projection of where he might be drafted. The response he received was second or third round, and that helped in his decision to declare for the draft by the Jan. 15 deadline. But it wasn’t the only response that mattered.

“Even with the positive response I received, my decision was still hard for me to make,” Jones said. “My biggest concern was that I felt like I was letting my teammates down by leaving early. But they gave me a lot of support in making this decision and I appreciate that.”

Although unable to play in EWU’s last 2 1/2 games of the season because of a foot injury, Jones led the team to a 13-2 record and the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title. He rushed for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games in 2010, and averaged 7.9 yards per carry in his 24-game career as a running back.

“I felt like I made the best decision as far as being able to help my family and do something I’ve always dreamed of,” said Jones. “I get to do something that I love.”

“We want Taiwan to do what is best for him, his family and his situation,” said Eastern head coach Beau Baldwin. “We wish nothing but the very best for him. On behalf of our program and our coaching staff, we thank him immensely for what he’s done for our program and university. Not only is he an amazing player, but he’s a great person and teammate.”

Jones, who ranked second in FCS in both rushing yards (145.2 per game) and all-purpose yards (201.8), suffered a fracture to the base of his fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot in EWU's 38-31 overtime victory over North Dakota State Dec. 11 in the quarterfinals. He finished with a career-high 230 yards rushing in that game, including 203 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but wasn’t able to play again.

Wanting to lead the Eagles back to Frisco next year made his NFL decision that much more difficult.

“When I was at the national championship (game), that was something I dreamed of as well,” Jones said. “It was a hard decision to make because I wanted to play on a stage like that.”

Interestingly, the type of fracture he suffered is generally referred to as a "Jones Fracture," named after Sir Robert Jones, who first described this fracture pattern in 1902.

Depending on the progress of his injury, Jones hopes to participate in the NFL Combine in late February, as well as his “pro day” in March.

“It’s definitely gone by fast,” said Jones, who graduated in 2007 from Deer Valley High School in Antioch. “When I came into this season, I wasn’t thinking that it would be my last year. I thought about it a lot and I just thought this was the best for me to be able to support my family.”

Jones is believed to be the first Eastern player to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft before exhausting his Eastern eligibility. In 2007, current Detroit Piston Rodney Stuckey left Eastern following his junior season on the EWU basketball team and was a first-round draft choice and the 15th pick overall.

Eastern’s highest NFL draft choice ever is Roos, who was picked 41st overall in 2005. He and his wife Katherine donated $500,000 toward the red Sprinturf surface on which Jones and the Eagles played during the 2010 season. Eastern was a perfect 8-0 at Roos Field (formerly Woodward Field) in Cheney, Wash., including three games in the FCS Playoffs.

“Our disappointment is that we don’t get him for another year,” added Baldwin. “We absolutely respect his decision and will be pulling for him to make it at the next level.”

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Grades why he is leaving? Did he take off over Xmas break? What's the skinny

To support his family, and I'm sure the risk of further injury if he plays another year factored into it. He wants to get into the NFL while his stock is still high.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

As always, thanks for all the inside info SCFBF - it's greatly appreciated. xnodx

[Eagle22]

Has there been another FCS running back leave early for the pros in the last decade ? Last one I can recall was Ronney Jenkins @ NAU, but that was way back in 1999. Isn't an everyday occurrence, that much is for certain. Good luck to Jones.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Has there been another FCS running back leave early for the pros in the last decade ? Last one I can recall was Ronney Jenkins @ NAU, but that was way back in 1999. Isn't an everyday occurrence, that much is for certain. Good luck to Jones.

Not that I know of.

With that handle, I thought you were an EWU Eagle fan instead of a GSU Eagle. xlolx

[smallcollegefbfan]

Has there been another FCS running back leave early for the pros in the last decade ? Last one I can recall was Ronney Jenkins @ NAU, but that was way back in 1999. Isn't an everyday occurrence, that much is for certain. Good luck to Jones.

The last one was NW State's Derrick Johnese but he left because he was going to be academicaly ineligible. I think that was in 2006 or 2007 though I could be off. Any NW State fans remember the exact year?