Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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the Irish try to build their program — a shot of President Barack Obama delivering a commencement address for the intellectual pillar, the arch of a doorway at Sacred Heart Basilica for the spiritual, the library mall crowded with tailgaters for the social, and Notre Dame Stadium all lit up to depict the physical and skill cornerstones. Jones put them up as daily reminders of his purpose in the year-old office. "I'm kind of like a walking billboard for our pillars," he said, attempting to sum up his job description in a few short words. Among the other permanent fixtures in the room are drawings from his 5-year-old son, a football-shaped candy dispenser stocked with Skittles and a pair of blue-upholstered chairs that remain almost constantly occupied. "I stop by his office three or four times a week just to say what's up," senior cornerback Bennett Jackson said. "He's a good dude. He just helps bring everybody together." Along with his duties of organizing the team's community service efforts, Jones is a sounding board for everyone in the program. Players and coaches filter through the chairs by his desk in a steady stream to talk about one thing or another. Players air grievances or ask for personal advice. Coaches check on how their guys are doing in classes that semester or just drop in to say hello. At times, Jones acts as a confessionbooth screen between the two groups. At others, he connects the loose wires that keep them from reaching each other. That's why he's here. Irish head coach Brian Kelly created a new position — director of player development and engagement — to bring Jones to South Bend last February. Notre Dame was coming off back-toback 8-5 seasons under Kelly. Months earlier the coach cracked a fissure between himself and his veteran leaders that spilled out of the locker room and into the public eye. He had just lost a five-star recruit on National Signing Day, and two other highly touted young players were on their way out the door. Kelly had called on Jones to serve a similar purpose in the past. He hired him with almost an identical title at Cincinnati in 2009. That year, the Bearcats finished undefeated in the regular season and launched Kelly into consideration for the Notre Dame job. On teams in which Jones has held a player engagement role, Kelly is 24-1 as a head coach, with the only loss coming in January's BCS National Championship Game. "He makes a strong impact in our program, especially with the relationships with our players and our community service work," Kelly said. "We really work hard at getting our players to be other-centered and not just think about themselves. I think it was a piece that we needed; it's a piece that he's provided for us; and it really provides great morale for our football team." More and more teams are adding an Ernest Jones type to their support staff in search of any edge they can gain over their opponents. Alabama has a director of player development. LSU's athletic department has a director of wellness. Michigan's roster includes