Robert Jones – September 2, 2021
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Thursday, September 2, 2021
G Robert Jones
(I saw you throw a man. Can you tell me what happened on that play that became a little viral?) – “We had a play called and I just followed my technique and my coaching points. When I got out there, there was a person out there for me to block. I tried to do everything coach said to do and it ended up working in my favor.”
(What does it feel like when you get to do that?) – “I really don’t know how it feels. I just take it a play at a time. I didn’t even know it happened like that. I thought he tripped and fell. (laughter) After I made the play, I just got up and got back to the huddle. I was just ready to go. I didn’t want to focus on, ‘Oh, I knocked him down’ or anything.”
(Do you recall your initial reaction when 4 p.m. passed on Tuesday and you said, “I’m an NFL player. I’m on a 53-man roster!”) – “Man, it was a blessing. I was happy to get the opportunity to still be out here and play for the Miami Dolphins. I was just so blessed for the opportunity.”
(Did you have any Power 5 offers? Any major college football offers at all before you went the junior college route and then Middle Tennessee? Were there any Power 5 offers?) – “No Power 5 offers.”
(Any with FBS?) – “I had a number of FBS offers. I just felt like Middle Tennessee (State) was the place to go, so I took it and ran with it.”
(To go from no Power 5 offers to standing at this podium today, it’s not a journey a lot of guys actually get to make. Why are you here?) – “Coming from JUCO, it was hard. I just kept my head down and kept working. I took that with me when I went to Middle Tennessee and I just tried to be the best player I can be. I was lucky enough to have coaches who pushed me. I have family members who stuck by my side and pushed me. It ended up working in my favor and when I was able to take the jump, I took it and ran with it.”
(Obviously they made you a nice financial offer after the draft. Had you sensed that was coming from the Dolphins? Had Offensive Line Coach Lemuel Jeanpierre reached out to you before the draft where you know the Dolphins had interest?) – “No. My only time talking with the Dolphins really was the Senior Bowl. I liked them and I had a feeling that they liked me, but I didn’t know what was going to happen. After the draft, I was prepared to go anywhere and lucky enough the Miami Dolphins called and I really liked the coaching staff from the Senior Bowl. I knew that was the place.”
(What was the mindset you came into training camp with?) – “Just get better every day. Just try to be the best player I can be. I knew there would be a lot of things that I was going to have to work on and learn so I wasn’t setting high expectations. I was just taking it one day at a time.”
(At what point did you start to believe that this is a real possibility for you? Going back to maybe your junior college days or Middle Tennessee? When did it become?) – “I would say when I got my first D-I offer in JUCO. When they offered me – my first offer was UT Martin, FCS. When I got that offer, it hit me that I probably could play on Sundays. I just focused on getting through JUCO and getting through my college and now I’m here.”
(They like linemen six-through-nine on this team to be able to play multiple positions, which you can. What spots among the five are you feeling like you could play? All? Most? Everything but center?) – “I feel like I can play anything, honestly. Wherever the coach needs me to go out there and play, I’ll take a couple reps and I feel like I can be successful.”
(What is the biggest difference here between the setup here at the Miami Dolphins Baptist Health Training Facility compared to the setup at Highlands Community College in Kansas?) – “(laughter) Man, JUCO was rough. (laughter) All I’m going to say is it’s a blessing. You got all the things to take care of your body. You got nutrition and everything. You have everything to be successful. In junior college, you have certain things; but it wasn’t there or wasn’t presented to you.”
(It’s the slide, right?) – “Yes, sir. (laughter) For sure.”
(Did you get any texts from any college teammates or coaches on Tuesday night? Has there been any of that?) – “Man, everybody texts or calls me, congratulates me because I came so far. No one ever thought that I would be in this position, especially knowing a guy in this position yet. Everyone was happy for me and I am just trying to make them proud.”
(You’ve been smiling the whole time talking to us. What have the emotions like for you?) – “It’s just a blessing to be here. I’m just happy to be here. Happy for every opportunity I’m getting. I’m just going to take it and run with it.”
(Did you sign a lease now and go through all that real-life kind of detail?) – “Oh yeah, I got me a little house. Not house, an apartment. (laughter) I got me a nice little apartment, living comfortably. Try to take it day-by-day.”
(No hotels or any of that stuff?) – “No hotels. (laughter)”
(What is your favorite aspect of offensive line play?) – “I feel like just being able to be aggressive in the trenches. Just me being able to go against another man and move him against his will, I feel like that’s the best part of playing offensive line.”
