He feels safe on campus and his lone focus is winning a national championship at the University of Alabama.
Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, the Southeastern Conference and the Crimson Tide are moving forward with a football season for now. Mac Jones, a redshirt junior quarterback, was one of two student-athletes that addressed media personnel via Zoom call on Friday, to discuss the latest on the Tide. Jones, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., enters his fourth year with the team and is a preseason candidate for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
After filling in admirably for an injured Tua Tagovailoa in 2019, he is prepared to lead the program to victories and is proud of how the veterans and young players have been working.
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“The overall morale of the team is good,” Jones said. “We have been grinding and everyone looks good. Some of the young guys look really good and my older teammates look great too.”
During this unprecedented time, Jones is unsure as to whether a season will happen or not.
However, he continues to show his leadership by working hard and taking things one day at a time.
Along with providing updates to local media on the team getting tested three times a week, Jones said Bryce Young and Paul Tyson have done a ‘great job’ preparing as well.
He ended last season with 1,503 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, but Jones’ finest performance came in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan in Orlando, Fla. The 6-foot-3, 214-pounder completed 16 of 25 passes for 327 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers.
He guided Alabama to a 35-16 victory over the Wolverines — providing the Tide its 11th win of the campaign. Jones said it was the preparation from his coaches and teammates that helped him the most.
“They made it a lot easier for me,” he said. “I did not feel like the backup quarterback coming in. The older guys on the team and some of the younger guys really supported me. I did not feel like I was in a position of pressure or anything like that. I’ve been here for three years and these are the same guys I have been with. We were just going to go out there and have fun.”
Even with he and Scott Cochran parting ways in the spring, Nick Saban made one of the best hires of his coaching career in bringing in the dynamic duo of David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea from Indiana University. The move was made back in March and since then, both have earned the respect of Alabama’s coaches, players and fans.
“Our strength staff has done a really good job,” Jones said. “Coach Ballou, Dr. Rhea and everyone else has combined together to come up with a really good plan to make us stronger and faster in a short amount of time. The strength staff has adjusted to us and we have adjusted to them.”
When it comes to the philosophy of Ballou and Rhea, Jones said both guys are scientific to the core.
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“Everything they (Ballou and Rhea) do in the weight room translates to the field,” he said. “Every single lift we do, there is a reason for doing it and they make it very clear to why we are doing that lift. I feel like that just boosts morale, and we don’t feel like we’re just going through the motions.”
Regardless of what happens, Jones is locked in for a football season.
He said the reason why he chose Alabama is to win championships and play with great teammates. Hopefully, everything flows to where he will be able to accomplish both.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
