Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/204831
where have you gone? Julius Jones, 1999-2001, 2003 Running Back The dynamic ball carrier is a great example of an exiled Notre Dame player returning with positive results By Andrew Owens I f anyone can relate to quarterback-inexile Everett Golson's current situation, it's Julius Jones. The former Notre Dame running back (1999-2001, 2003) was also dismissed for a season for academic reasons and, like the 2012 Irish signalcaller, Jones made it perfectly clear during his time away from South Bend that he had no interest in looking elsewhere or running from the situation. "I went there for a reason and that's to be a part of Notre Dame," Jones said. "That's why I went there. I started something and I wanted to finish. Just having the opportunity to play at Notre Dame and be a part of that is something that can't be duplicated. "I didn't want to short myself by just surviving and making it. I wanted to go back to Notre Dame and finish what I started." During the 2002 fall semester, Jones enrolled in classes at Arizona State and worked out with his brother, Thomas (then with the Arizona Cardinals), who went on to rush for more than Jones returned to Notre Dame in 2003 for his senior campaign after a year in exile and posted three 200-yard games, which remains a school record. photo courtesy notre dame media relations 10,000 yards in his NFL career. Saturdays were torture for Jones, who became a fan favorite at Notre Dame with the breakaway speed that earned him roles as the team's kickoff and punt returner in addition to running back duties. After a 5-6 campaign in Jones' junior year, the team began the 2002 season 8-0 under new head coach Tyrone Willingham. It hurt Jones to watch, but he said he couldn't look away.