matt jones being discovered?

It seems that the rest of the country may be catching on to what Hog fans have known for years. Or at least Chris Mortensen is. That is, Matt Jones is a freak of nature and probably the best athlete in college football last season. The best pure athlete in the draft? Hard to argue with that. But the best prospect? Likely not since he has to shift from quarterback to receiver. (As a side note, some big-name schools like Tennessee and Texas were very interested in his wideout skills but he stayed in-state so he could play the same position as in high school. And he has dabbled as a receiver at Arkansas so the position's not new to him.) But a guy who's that tall, that fast, and can jump that high is only a couple years or so from being a phenom. Barring injuries he could be one of the greatest receivers in the game in just a few years. In fact, I'll second Mortensen and expect it to happen.

Despite all the positives and praise Mortensen points out there's one thing Jones has against him. As all Arkansas fans know, he's a game-turning disaster waiting to happen at QB. The way he ran with the ball--those awkward-looking long strides, that habit of holding the ball so far out there to be slapped loose--I was always amazed (not to mention out of breath) when he made big plays. And his passes always seemed to float for so long I wondered how he didn't throw more picks. Every now and then he'd have that bonehead play, the no-contact fumble or the floater that soared yards over any receiver's head and right to the safety, that would make me hate him until his next big play. He makes a fan spend the entire fourth quarter--or the entire game in nail-biters--wondering if he'll "do it again." With Jones, one thing is for sure in a close game: He'll either win it outright or lose it outright. But he'll play the lead role either way. Unfortunately, he just seems to make terrible mistakes at terrible times. Perhaps he tries to do too much and win games singlehandedly, or maybe he just has mental breakdowns at the wrong time (you know, with that lackadaisaical attitude and all). Whatever it is, he makes you hold your breath and pray he won't hand over the drive or the game every time he touches the ball--especially in close games. And being a QB, he touched the ball a lot at Arkansas.

I really hope he makes it big in the NFL. And not just because we share the same alma mater but because someone that exciting just has to play on Sundays. It would be an injustice for the rest of the country to miss out on seeing his unorthodox big plays and clutch-time antics. Win or lose, his quirks--the long strides and crazy open-field moves that make him seem to float across the field, the seeming indifference to everything around him while he's on the sidelines followed by his game-winning play seconds later, and the list goes on--make him one of the most fascinating players to watch in a long time.