Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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a chance to see him grow up for the past four years," Rees said. "We immediately hit it off. He had a good personality that we could go back and forth. But when we got out on the field, he was super competitive. I loved that and could feed off that. It's really a good relationship that we have on and off the field. "TJ is a very, very smart football player. He understands his routes, defenses, holes in defenses, where to feel through a defense to get open. I think that his best attribute is his feel out there. He's got unbelievable feet and quickness, and his route running is as good as I've ever seen come through here. He's underratedly (sic) strong and will go up and make some tough catches. He's really put himself in position in the past three years to come out here and have a really, really special senior season." It seems to be off to the right start for Jones, whose guidance can help mitigate the loss of Golson. "With this being my last year, I think I'm doing everything right in preparation," he said. "In my opinion, I'm finally able to run with the weight I gained my freshman year. I've gained about 35 pounds since I got here. I'm just now comfortable in my own skin. I think that's going to allow me to take my game to another level. "There's a big responsibility that comes with not only helping the younger guys, but getting everyone's work ethic on the same page. A lot of that has to do with age and maturity. I'm going to do everything I can to help the offense." Rees has seen Jones come Jones' father, Andre (center), won a national championship at Notre out of his shell in recent Dame in 1988. He died from a brain aneurysm at age 42 in 2011, leaving months, taking more owner- behind his wife and six children. photo courtesy notre dame media relations ship of a team that has truckloads of production to replace with the loss of really excited for him. He's gone through a tight end Tyler Eifert and running backs Theo lot. To be where he's at today and having put Riddick and Cierre Wood to the NFL. himself in position to be as successful as I "This spring he's been healthy the entire think he's going to be, I'm nothing but excited time and has done a great job leading the and happy for him." receivers and being the constant guy we can It's safe to assume Jones' father would feel turn to and count on," Rees said. "I'm really, the same. ✦ TJ Jones' Most Memorable Moments but it was a memorable game for Jones, who snagged five balls for 53 yards and a TD. He'd add five more catches for 31 yards in another unthinkable loss to Tulsa in South Bend the following week. • Following a 26-yard touchdown catch from Tommy Rees that put the Irish up 28‑10 against No. 15 Michigan State, Jones was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty as a result of a seemingly innocent hand gesture. But he helped Notre Dame snap an 0‑2 start and start some much-needed momentum as a sophomore in 2011. • Perhaps seizing an opportunity to take out some frustration, Notre Dame went for it on fourth-and-one in the fourth quarter at Purdue two weeks later, and Rees hit Jones on a six-yard screen pass that set up another score. Jones added a touchdown against the Boilermakers for his third and final one of the year. • Jones caught his first touchdown pass from quarterback Everett Golson against Purdue in Notre Dame's home opener in 2012. The three-yard connection put the Irish up 14-7 in a win that came down to a field goal at the end. • With four catches for 59 yards, Jones was a reliable target in Notre Dame's 20-3 upset at No. 10-ranked Michigan State, which propelled the Fighting Irish to a 3-0 start and a No. 11 national ranking. • Jones' seven-yard TD catch in overtime at home against Stanford on Oct. 13, 2012, set up one of the most exciting finishes in Notre Dame Stadium history. After three straight losses to the Cardinal, the seventhranked Irish came up with four straight stops inside the 5-yard line for a 20‑13 win. • A 31-yard catch late in the third quarter helped set up Notre Dame's winning touchdown to survive a home scrap with BYU the next week. • No. 4 Notre Dame found itself down 20-6 against visiting Pittsburgh on Nov. 3, 2012, but Golson's 11-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to Jones chipped away at the deficit. It required three overtimes, but Notre Dame's perfect season remained intact. • Jones registered a career-high 97 yards (and a touchdown) on six receptions in a 38-0 win over Wake Forest to set the stage for a regular-season finale at USC for a chance to play in the BCS National Championship Game. • Finishing with four catches for 69 yards in Los Angeles, Jones was a first-down machine in the top-ranked Irish's 22-13 victory over Southern California. • While there were few offensive highlights for Notre Dame against Jones hauled in a seven-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass in overtime against Stanford last Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game, Jones turned in a careerbest seven receptions for 90 yards in the 42-14 loss. October, helping the Irish snap a three-game losing streak to the Cardinal. — Wes Morgan photo by bill panzica Notre Dame's top returning receiver hopes to cap his college career with an outstanding senior campaign. His body of work to this point, however, is more impressive than most might think. Here are some highlights from his 38 games (30 starts) heading into 2013: • In his Fighting Irish debut against Purdue in the 2010 season opener, the freshman caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown, becoming just the second true freshman to register a receiving touchdown (the first was Michael Floyd) in school history. He caught a 53-yard scoring pass the next week in a home loss to Michigan, making him the first true freshman in Irish annals to catch a touchdown pass in each of his first two contests. • The end result — a 35-17 loss to Navy at the New Meadowlands on Oct. 24, 2010 — was something everyone associated with Notre Dame football would like to forget, Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview ✦ 57 54-57.TJ Jones.indd 57 6/25/13 3:58 PM