CB Byron Jones, Leader of Secondary, Exemplifies the Diaco Mold
After seeing UCONN head coach Bob Diaco at his introductory press conference in Storrs and hearing him talk about character, education, doing things the right way and developing not only football players, but men, it was evident to see how cornerback Byron Jones was going to be a favorite of the new coach.
Oh how the relationship between the two has grown since that twelfth day in December, 2013. Coach D could only rave about the senior leader of his secondary on Tuesday, a player he holds in high regard.
“Byron is, in terms of size, speed, quickness and athleticism quotients, you could put his numbers up against anyone in the country and anyone that’s achieved in the last ten years statistically,” Diaco said at conference media day in Newport. “He’s big, real fast, crazy explosive, has excellent change of direction, he can bend and twist and these are all things you are going to see.”
Byron was equally praiseful of his new head coach and the staff that he has brought in.
“They’re awesome,” Jones expressed. “It’s just a great group of guys who understand how to communicate to players and how to coach us. It’s been great working with them regardless of how much time it’s been. We’ve only been together for seven months and we’re all very close. Everyone has bought in, no outliers.”
Diaco credits his staff for that.
“I’ve got the best staff in the country, I lean on them and utilize them every day. They are great teachers, they love their players. They are creating bonds with the players. They have created this incredible communication and an increase in the love and the brotherhood amongst all of us. That’s where we are going to continue to grow.”
Jones, who attended his second consecutive media day, has seen himself become not only a better player, but a better leader for his unit and the newcomers to the program.
“As you get older and you see younger guys coming into the program, they look up to you. They [the young guys] are working hard and making strides, so hopefully you see them out there this year. I’ve tried to get them to understand that it’s not too early to play. A lot of them may be looking to redshirt and I’m letting them know that that may not be the case, you can play at any point, at any position. Just be open, just attack whatever you need to attack.”
A native of New Britain, Jones realizes that he will have an opportunity to play football after his senior season at UCONN, but he only wanted to focus on the task at hand.
“I just want to be the best on the team, but it’s obviously expanded to something much bigger. Just to be a part of this program has been something special. I want to work towards being the best cornerback in the country. It’s definitely an uphill battle for me. I have a lot to learn, but I’m in for the challenge and can’t wait for practice to start on Saturday.”
Jones will be leading a unit that lost a key player in safety Tymeer Brown, who transferred up to Boston College during the summer.
“It’s tough losing Tymeer, he was a close friend of mine, he was always my buddy and we still stay in contact. But we expect good things from the secondary. We have a lot of smart players and we have a lot of athletic players back there. Guys who are able to fill in his position and fill their position as well.”
“[Safety] Obi [Melifonwu] is a guy who is extremely athletic, also intelligent,” Jones continued. “You’ve got [safety] Andrew Adams who is a very intelligent guy as well. And you’ve got Jhavon Williams, who’s a young corner, but someone who’s making great strides. He’s a very good corner, very physical, very big too. We still have a lot of things to put together as a unit, but that’s what summer camp is for. We can’t wait to get into the film room to study. We are all students of the game, so we are all very excited to start.”
Jones has not only grown as a leader since coming to UCONN, but as a person as well. Entering his freshman year, it was hard to see him in front of a microphone.
“You know I never really liked interviews honestly, being in front of the limelight has never been my thing.”
Now?
“I’ve gotten used to it. I have to set the example and really represent the university in the best light possible. It’s great to see that Coach Diaco sees me as someone who represents the university well.”
A lot of that has to do with how Jones was brought up.
“I was extremely lucky to have two parents who are unparalleled to none,” Jones proudly shared. “They’ve been great and they raised four boys and we’re all successful. Having three older brothers who have done well and stayed out of trouble and then having your parents there, it’s been great and that’s really where my character comes from.”
With under a month now to go before opening kickoff, Jones has started to forget a rough junior year, but with every obstacle, comes an opportunity.
“I like how we finished, with those three wins. Going 0-9 was a tough thing to go through, but we could’ve laid down. We saw some good things towards the end of the season and we are definitely looking to put that together a lot earlier in the year this season.”
The work towards that goal continues Saturday, on the practice field.
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