Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, July 27, 1993, Page 8, Image 8

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    SyfOQ
2 MRS H
SftOO
4 MRS O
ALL DAY *10"
(dad* lat>ud»d wWi rantaf)
199 W 8th Euqono • 484-7344
This Week s
luncheon Specials
Japanese Style
cold Noodles
! $4.50
CHINA BLUE |
RESTAUANTI
Tty our dmm too* |
8791 13tt> • UtMtJVl *+tt to UO 600*itore • 343-3837
>| SPRINGFIELD
I SMOKE
SHOP
9i
{< Tobacco • Pipes • Lighters • Incense • Knives • Gifts • Candy f#
*| 1124 Mam St. Springfield, OR 97477 503-747-8529 |j
J| Me*-. Sail 0-8 Son 1245 800-782 9496
Win Eugene Em’s Tickets
Drawings Weekly
• Close to campus • Clean
• Handicap access** machines
• Serving the area fa 17 years
240 E. 17th
(Between High A Mom
“30 years of Quality Service”
Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagen
Audi • Datsun • Toyota
—GERMAN
— AUTO
SERVICE,
INC.
342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon, 97402 I
★ Large Combo or Veggie Pizza
★ Two Garlic or Cheese Bread
★ Two 32 oz. Sodas
r $
Available for in-house or delivery'
Offer good only with coupon
Coupon expires August 27. I99d
TRACK TOWN PIZZA
CAMPUS /,-»&' WEST
1809 Krunklm Hivd I *2511 W lllh & Wilkor
484-2799 \&T 484-4262
- Oregon Daily Emerald Sports
Duck linebacker Ernest Jones celebrates after a sack In last year s Civil War game In Corvallis
Ethic, goals accelerate Jones
By Carrie Vincent
Fa itie 0>egon (><* ') (mrtS
Ernest Jones, "right — no! weak side" linehat ker
and defensive captain of Oregon's football team, is
a proponent of dis< ipline. both in his chosen sport
and in hts life,
"A lot of people think we just run around and
hit people." said Jones, who is three or four "hits"
away from breaking the Duck re< ord for quarter
back sacks "But it's very disciplined
Jones, a sociology major, holds up the large Inwik
for his human sexuality class
"We have to memorize a ploy book the size of
this." he said "People just think we re dumb
jot ks IPs really a thinking man's game."
Jones' work ethic is also integral to his position
as one of the two ijiptains of the team
"I'm more of a lead-by-example type of guy. But
it's really tough." Jones said of his leading role He
was voted in during spring training by a nearly
unanimous decision of his teammates
"There hasn't been a black captain for three
years, (so) I get a lot of pressure from the oilier
minorities." said Jones, who admits he has almost
quit (being captain) a couple of times. "It took
some talking to my mom and talking to my coa< li
es for me to work it out."
Jones now realizes that he can't worry about
everyone all of the time
"1 want to do what's right for the team, but I
have goals and dreams too," said Jones, who hopes
to play professional football "somewhere warm.”
(ones said sometimes there are racial tensions on
the team, "but I'm going to go pal someone on the
butt or on the bai k no matter if they are black or
white."
(ones humbly, hut confidently, believes in him
self.
"1 think I'm very likable." he said "1 Ireat all my
teammates the same."
Although Jones does not regret his decision to
come to the West Coast from his East Coast home
of Utica. N.Y.. he said he really misses his family
“It's hard for me to really enjoy myself." he said
"I haven't been home for two years " Jones has
spent the last couple of holidays with friends' fam
ilies who have "adopted" him.
Jones said the decision to come to Oregon was
difficult
"1 hadn't even been on a plane before, much less
to Eugene," he said, "and I'd never really left my
mom Indore either."
His mother. Velma, and his younger sister. Kim
berly. 13. are the recipients of several calls each
week from (ones.
"Sometimes, during the holidays. I'll even cull a
couple of times a day." he said.
It was difficult growing up for Jones because his
grandfather, who had his own family to take care
of. was his only father figure, even to the point
where he called him "Dad " But it wasn't always
enough, and he says that used to get him in trouble
at school, Jones said his aunts and uncles often
thought he wasn't going to get anywhere in life.
But sports, having to take care of hts little sister
People just think we’re dumb
jocks. It’s really a thinking
man’s game.’
Ernest Jones,
Oregon linebacker
while his mother was working for Blue Cross and
as a prison guard, and simply the strength of his
mother probably kept )ones on track
Jones does not drink or smoke, either.
"I don't have any desire to," he said. "1 don't
let people influence me to do something that will
harm my body or someone else," His attitude
stems from his mother's warning about peer pres
sure
Jones also recalled when he was a freshman in
high school and went out for the football team that
it was his mother, not his coach, who kept him in
line.
“I didn't figure 1 needed to practice, and 1 was
good enough that my com h figured that was OK.
But my mom made me turn my uniform in,” said
Jones, who eventually straightened up and start
ed going to practice
Jones, who played quarterback in high school,
said his team w asn't very good, probably only win
ning five games in four years, and he had to recruit
schools "instead of them recruiting me." He
mailed films of himself to where he wanted to go.
Clemson. Syrac use, Ohio State and Virginia
State were among Jones' first choic.es of schools.
But. not believing him to he big enough, they
didn't look at him until Oregon recruited him.
Jones was fi-foot-1, 18!S pounds when he gradu
ated. and he is fi-foot-2 1/2 inches. 230 pounds
now. But by that time it was too late.
"I sent a film out here, and they called me the
next day and offered me a scholarship," Jones said
"I didn’t get the respect I felt I deserved (from the
East Coast schools)."
Jones made the dec ision to come to Oregon and
show the other schools w hat they would miss.
Aside from his friends' parents that have "adopt
ed" him. Jones spends a lot of his time with Nic k
Aliotti. who used to lie his position coac h and is
now the- defensive i oordinator
"His wife and his family take < are of me." Jones
said. "I used to get c alled ‘coach's son.’ But. (Aliot
ti) and I talk constantly He's afraid I'm going to go
make it big time and forget about him. But 1
won't.”
Aside from taking a couple of classes this sum
mer so that lie can graduate in December. Jones is
spending thrcH* to four hours n day in preparation
for the upcoming season.
"This is my final year, and I know I really have
to perform," he said,
Jones doesn't think about how c lose he is to set
ting a new rec ord for sacks because "if you're
thinking aliout that, vour mind is not on the game
You are only thinking of yourself. That's not dis
ciplined.”