Football: Keeping up with the Joneses; further word SMU will boast brother act in backfield

Running back Devon Jones impressed in limited action at Saint Mary's last season, gaining 507 yards in just four games.

There was a Halifax Herald report in January that he and his older brother Tristan Jones, a running back and former Canadian junior player of the year, were going to try to reprise the dynamic that they enjoyed with Edmonton Wildcats by teaming up with the Saint Mary's Huskies. Well, guess what, there was another passing reference to the it in a feature the Regina Leader-Post carried on their dad, Milson Jones, as part of their coverage of the 1989 Roughriders' 20th anniversary celebration. Jones Sr. was the fullback on that fondly remembered Grey Cup championship team (well, not so fondly remembered in Hamilton and Edmonton).
"In 2007, Tristan won the Wally Buono Award, which is presented to the outstanding junior football player in Canada. The year before, he ran for an eye-popping 1,903 yards (averaging 9.9 yards per carry) and scored 25 touchdowns. After spending the 2008 season out of football, he is to return to the gridiron with Saint Mary’s in the fall.

"As a first-year Huskie in 2008, Devon made quite an impression — rushing for 251 yards and two TDs in his first start en route to earning CIS offensive player-of-the-week honours.

"Tristan reminds me of when I was younger,' Milson Jones says. 'Devon reminds me of running when I was older. They’re both effective in their own way. They’re my sons and I love them both and they’re equal in my eyes.' "
Quarterback was a much bigger trouble spot for Saint Mary's than running back last season, as they rotated between sophomore-to-be Jack Creighton, Nathan Beeler-Marsman and Ted Abraham after Erik Glavic was unable to return (and transferred to Calgary).

They moved the ball along the ground with little difficulty throughout 2008, even in the Mitchell Bowl loss to Western, where they had rushed for 242 yards at 8.6 per shot.

Allister Blair has eligibility remaining (if he doesn't, please, speak up) and 185-lb. Craig Leger emerged last season, along with Devon Jones. However, if Tristan Jones is indeed coming to SMU and he's everything they say he is, SMU coach Steve Sumurah might have to find a place for him. He tried his luck with Laval last season and that fizzled.

The season-long theme for Saint Mary's is that they're on collision course with Calgary and former coach Blake Nill. The AUS champion hosts the Canada West champs in the Uteck Bowl in November. One of these days, I'll get that right on the first crack and will not need a SID to correct it in the comments!

(Thank you, John Edwards. It was the U of C's Ben Matchett the last time.)

Related:
Roughrider Milson Jones pushing forward (Rob Vanstone, Regina Leader-Post, July 24)
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4 comments:

  1. You don't mention the little oooppsss episode of Tristan at Qc city last year?

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  2. Would he want it mentioned? That's a good question.

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  3. It's Canada West @ AUS this year. If Calgary makes it, that will be an interesting homecoming....

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  4. I don't think oooppsss is the right term to describe Jones' episode in Quebec City last year. I would rather call it "bow-away-in-front-of-the-competition episode" (namely Levesque and Beland)...

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