Journey toward NFL draft has been family affair for Gators RB Jones
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The get-together is scheduled Saturday at the home of one of his older brothers.
Matt Jones and his family plan to watch the NFL Draft, tell stories, laugh, put away some food, and cap the day by watching the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight.
More than anything, they want Jones to get a phone call he has imagined for several years.
"I can tell he is excited," said Jones' mother, Barbara Singleton. "I can see the expression on his face."
Since opting to leave school and forego his final year of eligibility at Florida, Jones has spent much of the past four months training at the IMG Academy in Bradenton with other NFL Draft hopefuls.
Jones returned to UF earlier this month for Pro Day and appeared in excellent shape, checking in at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds. He ran a 4.53 40-yard dash in front of scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
In his mind, he aced what was a final exam of sorts.
"That's the best I've felt," he said.
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, one of those in attendance, was impressed by what he saw.
"Keep your eye on Matt Jones," Mayock said.
With the three-day draft set to start on Thursday night, Jones is at home in Tampa waiting like so many other former college standouts hoping to hear their name called.
The first round is Thursday, the second and third rounds on Friday, and rounds four through seven on Saturday.
His agent, Florida graduate Hadley Engelhard, said Jones had private workouts with six NFL teams over the past few weeks and has drawn interest from others. Engelhard and colleague Jeff Ostrow, another UF alum, co-represent former Gators such as Trey Burton and Reggie Nelson.
Engelhard is confident Jones will get that phone call.
However, in his recent discussions with several NFL general managers, Engelhard isn't convinced Jones will have to wait until the later rounds on Saturday.
Engelhard has told Jones to make sure he is available Friday night when the third round starts.
"I don't think he gets out of the third round to be honest with you," Engelhard said. "If he does slip, he wouldn't slip past the fourth round. In today's two-back system that most teams are implementing, he's a perfect 1B back for a team that has a 1A back now, because he can block, he can catch the ball, and he is a tough big guy.
"He becomes immediately a short-yard, passing-down guy and it could morph its way into an every-down back. No matter what it is, he is going to have an immediate role on a team from day one."
While skeptics might dismiss Engelhard's assessment as that of an agent selling his client, Jones does seem to be somewhat of a sleeper pick in a draft that is deep at running back, highlighted by projected first-rounders Todd Gurley of Georgia and Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin.
Jones rushed for a career-high 817 yards as a junior and scored six touchdowns. He led the Gators in rushing after playing behind 1,000-yard rusher Mike Gillislee as a freshman in 2012 and missing half of his junior season due to an injured left knee that required surgery.
Jones also missed most of camp in 2013 after coming down with a viral infection that resulted in an eight-day hospital stay.
The father of a 3-year daughter, Aniyah, Jones said his health scare in August 2013 renewed his passion for the game and changed his perspective about the future.
"To have a sickness and surgery in the same year, that was hard," he said. "I had to really appreciate how much I wanted to play football. It just helped me see a lot of things, lying on that bed. When I came off that bed I soaked it up.
"It was like an eye opener."
In his most extensive playing time at Florida, Jones split carries with sophomore Kelvin Taylor last season, providing the Gators with a bruising downhill runner to contrast the slashing style of the smaller Taylor.
Jones was by far Florida's best blocking back and a capable receiver when needed. Jones' versatility is one of his biggest assets in the eyes of draft analysts.
"To me, he is going to be an outstanding value pick because of what he can give you on third down," NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah said recently on-air. "He's one of the best pass protectors in the entire draft, and he catches the ball naturally out of the backfield.
"You add to that what he can give you in short yardage as a power runner ... he has a role on your football team, especially on third down as well as what he can give you on fourth down. He can cover kicks. I think he would be a great steal on day three."
Jones is approaching the draft with an open mind. Regardless of how this weekend unfolds, he is ready to embark on a professional career.
That has been a dream for Jones long before he started to garner attention as a standout at Armwood High near Tampa.
"I know the draft can be crazy," he said. "I'm just ready to play football. A lot of teams showed interest and showed stuff on film where I can help them. I'm just sitting back and thinking 'bout how I got this far."
While Jones has prepared for the draft, Barbara has kept busy caring for Aniyah and helping plan for Saturday.
They will be heavy on Jones' mind Saturday.
"When my daughter came in to the mix, it really made me even go harder," he said. "My immediate family definitely played a role on why I go hard."
Barbara is the primary reason Jones and his two older brothers, Josh Jenrette and Daryl Jones Jr., played football. Josh was a starting linebacker at Fordham and Daryl a four-year letterman receiver at New Mexico.
The game has been a big part of her life for the last two decades, attending games all around the Tampa Bay area and beyond over that span.
"I started them all out in football because when they were young, I went through a divorce and I was basically raising my kids by myself and I wanted them to be tough," Barbara said. "I got them into football and once they did really well, that's what kept them motivated."
Matt's journey to the brink of an NFL career does not surprise his mom.
"He could always run," she said. "I had to do a lot of chasing. He has been an excellent running back since he was a young boy. That was a good position that he started out initially."
By the time Jones was a senior at Armwood, he had offers from several top programs, including Florida, Alabama and Auburn.
He chose to stay close to home, allowing Barbara and her husband, Donald Singleton, to stay closely connected. The couple celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary April 17.
Barbara is thrilled by how far Matt has come and is ready to celebrate on Saturday with Donald and the rest of the family.
"He was able to finish high school, he was able to go to college, and now he is going to the pros," she said. "[My husband] came into my life at the right time. Matt was a young boy. He didn't get into no trouble or anything, but he needed that father figure in his life.
"My husband has been a really great inspiration to my life and to Matt's life. He was there when I really needed somebody. He has been an excellent stepfather to my boys and a wonderful husband to me. This is an exciting time for me and our entire family."
