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Jets Tackle Jones Prepares to Be a Starter


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Jets Tackle Jones Prepares to Be a Starter

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.

AP Sports Writer

August 3, 2005, 5:39 PM CDT

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Adrian Jones was driving along a Kansas highway when a tire on his car blew out, suddenly turning his world upside down. Jones was thrown from the vehicle as it flipped over twice, and he spent three days in intensive care with a serious head injury.

Nearly six years after the accident that had doctors wondering if he'd ever play football again, Jones is preparing to be the New York Jets' starting right tackle.

"It's always good to have something to always feed off of, so I try to look back on that and say, 'If I can get through that, I can get through anything else,'" he said Wednesday at training camp.

Jones, in his second season with the Jets, is replacing Kareem McKenzie, who signed with the Giants as a free agent in the offseason. McKenzie's departure created a huge void at a position that opened big holes for NFL rushing champion Curtis Martin.

"Obviously, losing Kareem was a big deal," center Kevin Mawae said. "But Adrian will do well where he's at. We're confident A.J. will come in and take over that job."

Jones is a converted tight end who didn't play offensive tackle until his senior season at Kansas two years ago. Last year with the Jets, he was mostly a special teams player who practiced at left tackle.

The task of stepping into the starting lineup at a new position is daunting, but Jones has overcome bigger challenges.

During Thanksgiving weekend in 1999, following his redshirt freshman season, Jones was returning to Lawrence, Kan., from his home in Dallas with his brother Christopher and Jayhawks teammate Derick Miller. Jones was driving on the Kansas Turnpike when the left rear tire of his car ruptured and caused the vehicle to flip.

Jones, who had just removed his seat belt to take off his sweater at the time of the accident, was thrown from the car and landed headfirst.

"That's the last thing I remember -- I was taking off my sweater," Jones said.

He spent three days in intensive care at Wichita's Wesley Medical Center with a concussion and a bruise on his brain. Jones' brother and teammate had only minor injuries.

Meanwhile, it was uncertain if Jones would be able to have a normal life -- let alone play football again. He underwent months of intense rehabilitation and, remarkably, healed in time to make it to training camp.

"Right now, I could not be here or not be walking," he said. "I could be like a vegetable or all kinds of things. So, I really feel blessed that I'm in the position I'm in."

During his next three seasons at Kansas, Jones played tight end and caught 22 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior year, the coaches moved Jones to left tackle.

"At first, I was kind of reluctant to do it because it was my last year and I had to switch over," said the 6-foot-4 Jones, who gained 40 pounds of muscle before his senior season and is now at 296. "Once I got comfortable, everything was OK."

It sure was. He so impressed the Jets with his athletic ability the team drafted him in the fourth round despite his lack of experience at the position.

"We felt he was athletic and we liked his demeanor," Jets coach Herm Edwards said. "He's got some toughness and he can move for a tackle. We wanted an athletic tackle and he was that guy sitting there."

After practicing mostly at left tackle last year, Jones has been getting a crash course on the other side of the line.

"It's just mostly flipping everything, flipping it from left to right: the stance, the aiming points," he said. "Once you get past that, everything else is pretty much the same."

Although he's smaller than McKenzie, who's 6-6 and 327 pounds, Jones is confident he'll be able to make up for it with speed and aggressiveness.

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog," Jones said. "It's just that as long as you can get it done, no matter what weight you're at, it just matters that you get it done."

Martin had the best season of his career last year, winning his first rushing title with 1,697 yards while running mostly behind McKenzie. The four-time Pro Bowler thinks he could have the same success with Jones leading the way.

"I'm getting to know A.J. and I'm getting to understand his style, but I think he can get the job done," Martin said. "Most people don't realize how good his feet are -- his feet are great for a tackle. We're hoping we can use that to help us get extra yards."

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