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TJ Jones Fills Gaps In Irish Offense And Locker Room N otre Dame started its 2013 season uncertain of its own identity. The locker room needed new leaders, and it wasn't clear who that would be or when they would earn the trust of the team. The offense needed new playmakers, and the candidates ranged from seasoned veterans to freshmen that had yet to take a college snap. The right man for both jobs turned out to be senior wide receiver TJ Jones. The murphy's Law dan murphy biggest hurdle he had to clear along the way was simply showing up. Jones stands less than six feet and weighs less than 200 pounds, which doesn't make it easy to stay healthy during the fall. His slender frame has been pounded by defenses since he enrolled early as a freshman in 2010. He made an immediate splash that year, catching two touchdown passes in his first two games. He finished his freshman season with 23 receptions, but only one of them came in the final four games of the year. This season, Jones has a team-high 37 catches through seven games. He's on pace to easily eclipse his previous career mark of 50 receptions and he's picking up steam. The senior has added weight and muscle since getting to campus, but the biggest difference in his game hasn't been avoiding injuries. It's been learning to play through them. Last year, researchers working with athletes in Germany found that there was no difference between pro athletes and regular Joes when it comes to pain threshold (when a person starts to feel discomfort). The athletes, though, all scored much higher than average in pain tolerance tests, Jones leads the Irish with 37 receptions for 527 yards and five touchdowns, plus he has provided invaluable leadership on and off the field. photo by bill panzica and no group scored higher than American football players. The researchers found that, consciously or not, athletes are better at developing cognitive strategies that convince their minds to ignore pain, a process that can take some time. "I wasn't doing it when I was younger," Jones said after another physical battle against USC last weekend. "If I got hurt, I definitely paid attention to the pain. I focused on the pain. I may limp more than fighting through it." Jones did his share of limping against the Trojans. He hobbled to the sidelines in the second half after having his legs chopped out from beneath him on a punt return attempt. Each time he returned to the sideline thereafter, his first stop was to check in with the team's trainer, but he didn't miss an offensive series. Earlier in the game, Jones missed one play after landing awkwardly on top of the football along Notre Dame's sideline. He regained his breath and then returned to the game to make a twisting, gamewinning 11-yard touchdown catch in the final minute of the first half. Those are plays, Jones admits, that he ✦ Page 19 would not have been around to make even last season. He said he made a conscious effort not to let the routine bumps and bruises slow him at the start of his junior season. It wasn't until the most recent spring practice that he learned how to fully put mind over matter. Head coach Brian Kelly and Jones' teammates have noticed that the senior captain is no longer noticing the pain. Each Sunday seems to start with Jones in the trainer's room seeking treatment for the week's ailments, but by Tuesday he's diving for balls in practice and operating at full speed. Kelly said that attitude is what has separated good players from the great ones at Notre Dame in recent years. Teammates said what Jones is doing is inspiring. "You can always tell that he's hurting, but he's still giving all he's got," junior tight end Troy Niklas said. "I'd say it's definitely a process that you have to learn how to do. … Here's a guy who's hurt and he's still getting in as much as he can, so why shouldn't everyone else?" That's high praise from a man who a little more than a year ago almost blew out the speakers at a Notre Dame pep rally while telling the crowd how much he "loves the pain." Jones' ability to show up each day gives him credibility among teammates in the locker room. It also makes him more useful for the Irish offense. He knows enough to line up in more places on the field than anyone on the offensive roster, as long as he's durable enough to stay out there. Jones doesn't have the size of former All-Americans Michael Floyd and Tyler Eifert. His ability to play through pain this year has given the Irish a chance to use him in the same way, and made him just as valuable. ✦ E-mail Dan at dmurphy@blueandgold.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @BGI_DanMurphy.