Mcneese Travels To Delaware For I-Aa Semifinal Matchup

Jerod Jones remembers his rude introduction to college football.

It came Sept. 28, 1996, in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, when University of Northern Iowa receiver Alonzo Clayton burned Jones for touchdowns of 92 and 41 yards in a 43-10 win over McNeese State.

Clayton also outjumped Marcus LeBlanc for a 32-yard touchdown pass, and Ty Talton returned a kickoff 95 yards for a UNI score.

It was a long night for McNeese, especially for a rookie cornerback just four months from high school.

Twenty games later, Jones is a veteran, and he’s recovered from his battle scars to help lead a McNeese defense that has been largely responsible for the team’s second trip to the I-AA semifinals in three years.

He and fellow cornerback Delphfrine Lee just might be the most improved players on the team. Jones is seventh in tackles with 56, 41 of them solo. He has 11 pass breakups, second only to Lee’s 12, and has four of the Cowboys’ 30 interceptions.

McNeese (12-1) and Delaware (12-1) play Saturday in Newark, Del., for a spot in the national championship game.

It’s the nature of the cornerback position to get tested by the opposing quarterback. The toughest part is bouncing back after a mistake.

“You’re out on an island by yourself,” said Cowboys assistant coach Mike Collins, who recruited Jones out of Natchitoches Central High School. “You’re one-on-one and everybody sees you. If somebody gets behind you, it’s obvious. You have to be able to rebound from that. You’ve got to be mentally tough to overcome that, and I think he showed the way he played last week that he exemplifies that mentality.”

Jones picked off a pass and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown in McNeese’s 14-12 quarterfinal win at Western Illinois.

“I’m very competitive,” Jones said. “I did make the statement that I owed the team one for getting beat (in the first round). Fortunately, God looked out for me and made it come to pass.”