Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/89043
CATCHING ON Junior wideout TJ Jones is raising his game O BY WES MORGAN at the same rate as his comprehension of what is mandatory for a wide receiver to succeed at this level. He is, after all, in South Bend to get an education, so he looks at his maturation on the football field through an academic lens. "I'm closer to being a ver the past three seasons, TJ Jones has watched his confidence grow came in, I just wanted to get the ball; I just wanted to make plays with the ball and not really caring about the run game." That play made complete receiver than when I first came in," said Jones, who plucked a seven-yard touch- down pass from junior quarterback Tommy Rees in overtime to lift the Fighting Irish over No. 17 Stanford Oct. 13. "I take pride in block- ing, not only in pass plays, but blocking on run plays. Every play on the field, to me, I take pride in that. "Whereas when I first against the Cardinal is the high-water mark of his career to this point. It also is an example of how the Notre Dame offense functions when the experienced Rees is under center and of the trust the coaching staff has in Jones to deliver. "Myself and [Robby] it. I adjusted to the ball and held on. "It was a huge relief. I wasn't really sure what to do. I wanted to jump up and throw the ball. It was definitely a lot of excitement that came when I saw [the official] put his arms up." A starter in 23 of 32 Toma were lined up to the field [side], and they had man coverage on us," Jones explained. "Initially it was a run play, but Tommy saw they had man on us and checked it to slants. I beat the corner inside and he threw the ball behind me and it was a life-or-death situation. I knew if I didn't catch the ball, I better give it my all to try and catch career games played, Jones has always been held in high regard by Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, but this year featured especially high expectations with the Irish looking for ways to compensate for the loss of former star wideout and first-round pick Michael Floyd. No one player was to fill that void, but Jones — who had 61 receptions for 672 yards and six touchdowns combined as a freshman and sophomore — was one player that needed to hit the gas. "If there's one guy