 Posted: Wed 22:27, 20 Oct 2010 Post subject: he ran for 2 |
|
| Felix the Razorback
Felix Jones Jersey enjoyed his time playing for the University of Arkansas This story originally appeared in Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine. For subscription information, please click here. For those who weren't at Cowboys Stadium for the Arkansas-Texas A&M rivalry game, the Southwest Classic, this is how to call the Hogs, per the U of A department of media relations: "A properly executed Hog Call is composed of three "calls," slowly raising one's arms from the knees to above the head during the "Woo." Traditionalists prescribe an eight second "Woo." The fingers should be wiggled and the "Woo" should build in volume and pitch as the arms rise. Upon completion of the "Woo," both arms are brought straight down with fists clinched as if executing a chin-up while yelling, "Pig". The right arm is extended up and out with the "Sooie." A full Hog Call - the kind one will always hear victorious Razorback teams execute after contests - requires two more Hog Calls, followed immediately by a "Razor-Backs" yell, coordinated with a pumping motion of the right arm after the third "Sooie." So, in order, the full Hog Call is: Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Woooooooo. Pig. Sooie! Razorbacks!" For a demonstration, ask former Arkansas football players Felix Jones Jersey, Jerry Felix Jones Jersey or Stephen Felix Jones Jersey. The third-year Cowboys running back has something in common with the team's first family - something special, they would tell you. Like the rest of the Cowboys and every player in the NFL, Felix Jones Jersey was afforded the opportunity for a higher education. Without the knowledge and experiences he gained in Fayetteville, Ark., the mountain town in the state's northwest corner, his NFL career wouldn't be possible. Like the alumni of any school, he's forever grateful to the place and the people. "I'm glad to be a part of that," Felix Jones Jersey says. "There's only one Razorback in this nation. I take pride in that. When I go back I still try to build a relationship with those people who are there. That's what I learned there. You can go anywhere in the world and meet somebody from the University of Arkansas that you have something in common with. That was a couple of years of learning things, learning how to handle life." Life comes at you fast. It wasn't at all long ago that Felix Jones Jersey was a 17-year-old senior standout at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Okla., rushing for a ridiculous 11.1 yards per carry, 2,282 yards and 48 touchdowns. Named Player of the Year by the Tulsa World newspaper, Felix Jones Jersey was the apple of many a college recruiter's eye. Scholarship offers rolled in from College Station, Knoxville and Fayetteville - a lot to consider for a young man. His mom wanted him to stay close to home, but ultimately his parents left the decision in his hands. That's not to say his folks' opinion didn't have something to do with his eventual decision. Recruiters and assistant coaches came to his games, talked to him on the phone and visited his house. But it was a visit from the Arkansas football program's big boss at the time, Houston Nutt, which helped make up Felix Jones Jersey' mind. "Houston came to my house one night," the running back remembers. "He wanted to see my personal room, the room I slept in. I just thought that was weird for a coach. Usually coaches just want to say their information, get back on the plane and get to the next kid. But Coach Nutt came down, hung out, was a real cool guy and talked to my parents with a lot of respect and kindness. I took that to heart because when you visit my parents, it's a big deal. They really want the best for me, and if they see that in you, they'll have a good feeling about you." Young Felix was impressed, and Arkansas took the lead in his recruitment. His parents felt good about Nutt, and just as good about sending their son to Fayetteville. "They were very, very comfortable on me choosing my school. Wherever I wanted to go, they were behind me 100 percent. I think my mother was kind of 50-50 on how she wanted me to do it, but she knew it was my decision. Once I chose Arkansas I believe she was relieved because I wasn't that far. I was close enough to visit, but far enough away that I could feel like I was on my own." Nutt had one very good reason to visit Tulsa, the same very good reason the Cowboys chose to make Felix Jones Jersey their first round pick in 2008. It wasn't until a year or two later that there was more to Felix Jones Jersey than his on-the-field assets, though they are many, one tending to stand out first. "Speed," Nutt says. "He makes the guy miss. He has such hip swivel, he'll give you a leg and take it away, and sometimes you think he's not moving very fast, but he's moving a whole lot faster than you think. But here's the thing: he's got a heart, he's got unbelievable work ethic, his attitude is always so good and he's a great teammate. … He'll do anything you ask him to do and he'll do it with a passion." That much started to become apparent when the four-star Felix Jones Jersey committed to the Razorbacks on Feb. 2, 2005, almost 10 months prior to Nutt receiving a pledge from an even more sought after runner, five-star back Darren McFadden of Little Rock, Ark. "Whoever was going to be going to the school, or whoever was already there, I was up for the challenge," Felix Jones Jersey says. "I was just going in and being competitive, showing the coaches what I could do, making a name for myself and possibly getting myself on the football field, any way I could - special teams, offense, doing something. And I just thought once I got there I could help the team out, so that's how I made my decision. Those things were what I really was interested in, not the personnel that were already there. I was willing to work hard and make that position mine." He showed a willingness to dedicate himself in the classroom as well, majoring in kinesiology, which he hoped would ultimately lead him into coaching middle schoolers. "I felt like that really suited me because I was an athlete," Felix Jones Jersey says. "I loved watching younger kids grow up idolizing you, so I wanted to help them out. That major kind of fit me perfectly. I got the type of knowledge and ability to mingle with people and go out and introduce yourself. It's kind of hard to get that just in high school and focus on geography and math and stuff like that." College life was right up Felix Jones Jersey' alley. "I loved it," he says. "I enjoyed every moment of it, getting to meet different people. Being on your own, the party lifestyle and all that, I had a lot of fun. I enjoyed class. Class is always a good thing. School is cool, I always tell people that. I wouldn't have made it as far as I have without school, just learning different things, and just knowing that I was doing something with myself at that point in time, getting an education. I was playing football, something I loved, and I was building my foundation on living and handling life and dealing with people. I felt like I was on the up-and-up." SEC coaches and media gave Felix Jones Jersey plenty of credit during his days at Arkansas. He never did become the featured back, though it's still a tossup whether he or McFadden is the better player. They worked together seamlessly for the team's benefit, with the Razorbacks starting a kind of offensive revolution by bringing back the old single-wing formation as a means to get both on the field at the same time, dubbing the new/old set the "Wild Hog." Since then, the formation has become a regular part of offenses at every level. The Cowboys call their version the Razorback, though it's not clear which Felix Jones Jersey the name is meant to flatter - Felix or Jerry. It was Felix Jones Jersey,NBA Jerseys, in large part, who made the thing work at Arkansas. In three seasons as a collegiate, he ran for 2,956 yards and 20 touchdowns on 386 carries. His 7.7 yards per carry average ranks second in NCAA annals behind only Glenn Davis (Army, 8.3 from 1943-46). He, Mike Rozier (Nebraska, 7.2) and Reggie Bush (USC, 7.3) are the only backs ever to average over 7.0 yards per carry with a minimum of 350 attempts. Despite all of the success, he was used mostly as a complement to McFadden, and started just 13 games for the Hogs. Selflessness, acceptance of a role and the willingness to work with another running back has since become one of Felix Jones Jersey' better qualities. The Cowboys took that into consideration when they drafted him, as they already had a Pro Bowl rusher on board in Marion Barber. For the younger Felix Jones Jersey, McFadden was never seen as a threat. Likewise, Barber has been an ally, not a source of discontent. "He kind of got used to it a little bit with Darren," Nutt says. "A lot of guys shy away or will transfer when they have a great teammate, but he didn't. He ran with it, and of course he loves winning." Felix Jones Jersey says the lesson in cooperation was one of the most important things he learned in school. It's come in handy since he joined the work force. "It helped me out a lot," Felix Jones Jersey says. "I was just being patient. Knowing that my time will come, when I get an opportunity to make the best of it, I take full advantage of everything I get. I just learned that and it stuck with me for a long time. The only way I can think is to control what I can control and go out there and play football and help contribute to my team winning. For me to sit back and wait my turn, I had full trust in my coaches. I knew they would put me in position where I could make a play. That's their job. I felt like my coaches would find a good spot for me." The coaches did their part, helping turn Felix Jones Jersey into a top prospect after three seasons. And then came the big decision. Every student goes to college to get a job, after all, and the NFL was calling with millions of dollars. With nothing guaranteed should he decide to return for his senior year, Felix Jones Jersey did the smart thing. He left without a degree. "I was a year, a year-and-a-half away," Felix Jones Jersey says. "I sat down with my family and we thought it was the best choice. It was another opportunity presented for me. It was a great opportunity and I definitely wanted to take advantage of that. With that said, I'm here and I'm happy. I think when I get some time off when I retire or in the offseason, I'm going to go back and finish. It's important to me, also to my parents, but me most importantly. It's something that I started, and most of the things I start, I love to finish. I feel like I didn't accomplish what I started. I want to have that degree." When he does go back, Felix Jones Jersey can pay his own way. Such is the consolation of every collegiate player forced to decide whether to leave school early. The University of Arkansas' other Felix Jones Jerseyes were glad he made the choice he did. Like any college grads, they were sure to do their homework on the player they wanted most. While Jerry Felix Jones Jersey' love for his alma mater is well known, the Cowboys had never drafted a Razorback during his time as general manager until Felix became available. "It just hasn't fallen that way," Jerry Felix Jones Jersey said on draft day 2008. "I think it's pretty clear that I don't get off-track to go that way, but yes, I'm surprised that we hadn't made a high, significant pick out of Arkansas in 20 years. … I have talked with (former Arkansas athletic director) Frank Broyles several times in the last year and I know Houston Nutt very well, so we feel like we knew a lot about him. "And at the end of the day, we just kept hearing over and over what a great worker this guy is, that when it's said and done, he does whatever it takes to get the job done." That determination has certainly helped Felix Jones Jersey in his football career, both in college and the pros. It'll also help when he ultimately makes it back to campus. Like any alumnus, a part of him wishes he was still there. "In college, I would say there were times that I sat back and realized where I was in my life and took an appreciation of that moment," Felix Jones Jersey says. "There were some moments in college that I feel like I could go back to and they would be better than things are now. "But this right now, I wouldn't trade it for the world." |
|
