Patience does truly pay off.
We can attribute this statement to the journey of Mac Jones at quarterback. He was a three-star prospect at one point in time from The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Fla.) and had to wait behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa for his turn, but the junior has been a revelation for his team and the program this season. He could have easily went to Kentucky and took the starting job there; however, Jones wanted to be developed.
It is something about competition that drives him to be better than others.
RELATED: Alabama QB Mac Jones brings ‘more experience and confidence’ into Iron Bowl, according to Gus Malzahn
When it was not competition, it was outside noise fueling his fire. Doubters and critics came from every angle, nevertheless, Jones has turned in a campaign that has baffled pundits of national media. He has the University of Alabama with a perfect record (7-0), a balanced offense, and an opportunity to contend for a national championship.
While he does not like to draw attention to himself, Jones is the leader in this year’s Heisman Trophy race and has NFL Draft experts talking about him.
He is responsible for 2,426 passing yards with 18 touchdowns to three interceptions through seven games. Jones is proud of himself, yet he remembers the loss he suffered to Auburn in 2019. On the scout field, he was a relentless competitor. During his A-Day performances, Jones was about fun and keeping an edge to him.
Upon facing one of the best defensive fronts in the Iron Bowl, he tossed for 335 yards with four touchdowns.
Jones had a strong outing, but he also threw two interceptions. Both were returned for scores and it played a role in Auburn not only getting a 48-45 victory, but also spoiling the Crimson Tide’s chances at the College Football Playoff.
RELATED: Has the Alabama defense morphed into championship caliber?
It was his introduction into how important the rivalry is, and he has applied those lessons to this year.
According to Nick Saban, he said Jones’ ability to play within himself has been the biggest positive.
“He has a lot more experience,” Saban said of Jones on Monday. “He has a lot more knowledge. He is a lot more confident and I think the improvement is pretty obvious to everyone that watches the games. He has been very efficient in his decision making, in terms of the things he does. I could not be more pleased with the progress he has made.”
Aside from maybe JK Scott, Coach Saban has not allowed specialists to speak to reporters.
On Monday, things changed as Thomas Fletcher — a senior long snapper — took the podium. He and Jones came together in Alabama’s 2017 freshmen class, and the native Texan referred to his quarterback as the ‘fiercest competitor’ he knows.
“You talk about somebody that loves to win … Mac loves to win,” Fletcher said. “That starts off the field and who he is in the locker room with other players. He is a mentor for guys who need it and once you get into the games, that is a guy that has to be calm, cool and collected and someone who you can look at and if stuff starts to go awry in the game … you look at your quarterback to see how he reacts, and he always reacts with poise. He’s ready for the next play and the team responds to him.”
Fletcher said Jones is a ‘fantastic leader’ and the team is ‘blessed’ to have him as the quarterback.
RELATED: Landon Dickerson’s leadership and grit is next level for Alabama
Najee Harris told reporters on Tuesday that Auburn will not be seeing the same Jones from last year.
At the heart of him, Jones wants to take shots downfield on the Tigers but he also has to be aware.
“People are playing us different,” Jones said. “Maybe a little more conservative and rightfully so, but each week a team is going to have a different plan for us. A lot of teams have been backing up more, so we have to find ways to squirt the ball out and get it into the flat or with my decision making, just check the ball down. That is on me. Maybe the past couple of games I got a little greedy, but when you have the people we have on our team and it’s one-on-one … I am going to take the shot.”
He is at his best when he is having fun. Jones has been enjoying his teammates and his moment to shine all season.
An opportunity comes this week for him to even the score versus the Tigers, and Jones is more than ready for it.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
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.
