You may have seen it live, or on YouTube or SportsCenter over and over again. Against the San Diego Chargers at home last spell, the 6-foot-4, 270-smacker Shawne Merriman came running toward Jags quarterback David Garrard. Little 5-foot-7, 208-pound sterling Jones-Drew ran at him and nonchalantly shoved the massive defensive lineman to the ground.

Garrard establish his tough end, Marcedes Lewis, Jones-Drew’s institution captain, open in the end zone.

No player comes into the NFL wanting to be a fill-in. No player dreams of coming in on special teams, red-zone chances and living being to vibrant space. He’s been watched, looked after and locked throughout his life and any time he’s played issue from Pop Warner to the NFL. And in proceeds, when his private, hot potato or otherwise requests it, he care of them.

“I wouldn’t say he’s exultant or at ease with actuality a gridlock or just a role player,” said Derek Landri, a Jaguars defensive lineman who went to high graduate school with Jones-Drew. “Maurice has the ability to be ‘the guy.’ . . . But it’s what we’re raised with in high faculty. Team initial. Be a selfless player. Do your role, do your job and consortium the personality next to you.”

For the principal 20 an inordinate length of time of his life, that figure next to him was over and over again his maternal grandfather.

Jones-Drew’s parents raised him, but he finished more time with his grandparents, Maurice and Christina Jones. He was their chief grandchild and duly willful. No visitor ever diminutive Maurice as long as the Joneses were around.

A region seizure in 1988 intensified the bond. After that, Maurice Jones never let his out of his spectacle.

“My founder always was very shielding of Maurice, but that appropriate there put the decoration on the cake,” said Andrea Jones-Drew, Maurice Jones-Drew’s mother.

He watched Jones-Drew play in the front yard. He went to every Pop Warner ritual. When Jones-Drew went to high university at capital Concord De La Salle, Jones watched system there, too. Jones-Drew even lived with his for his former two of high brotherhood.

Having retired due to spirit problems in 1991, Maurice Jones drove Jones-Drew to and from set.

And while school came main for Andrea Jones-Drew — she nearly kept Maurice out of the game of his high ring livelihood because he had a C- in chemistry — the grandfather was more worried more or less matter.

Maurice even made a deal while Jones-Drew at UCLA. He could pronounce initial for the NFL draft if he in the red two NCAA records.

“He said, ‘Well in union for you to go, you have to do something almighty,’ ” Jones-Drew said. “I said, ‘What had better I do?’ He said, ‘You’ve got to break some records.’ ”

Everything altered on Sept. 10, 2005.

The intimate drove down from arctic California as they always did and arrived at the stadium five early. Maurice Jones it two hours speedy so he watch his grandson warm up before that time’s home opener and yell “MAURICE” so Jones-Drew knew where he was.

During the game, Jones had a heart act of violence and next died.

His grandson, at the time renowned simply as Maurice Drew, went to the hospice as soon as he get off the discipline, static wearing his unbroken.

“I talked to him former, and asked, ‘How you ambiance?’ ” Jones-Drew said. ” . . . He said, ‘OK.’ I kind of knew during that week he wasn’t doing too well. I was the original one he told.”

Jones-Drew was numb. Football helped with that.

And for the rest of his occupation, to regard the man who threatened him, crammed for him, fed him, wasted him and counseled him, he improved the name on the back of his from Drew to Jones-Drew.

That year Jones-Drew set two NCAA records and avowed for the draft as a low-ranking.

The Jaguars took him in the second round, 60th overall, to play behind Fred Taylor.

Then Jones-Drew started looking after others.

He pays his equivalent’s university schooling, takes her shop every time she’s in town and helps pay for her apartment.

And on the field, he’s looking after the team, his quarterback and consecutively back Taylor.

During his opening period, Jones-Drew had a team-top score 2,250 all-purpose . He and Taylor have been the second-best seriatim-back pair in the NFL for the last two yonks.

Taylor, 32, even Jones-Drew with selection his body last . He made his primary pro-bowl appearance last term with Jones-Drew by his side.

“I can’t ponder of a superior situation for Maurice to be in,” said Vikings successively backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who recruited and Jones-Drew in academy. “He’s with a guy who’s going to help him to learn the game, to help him extend his vocation.”

Jones-Drew has never openly for more from his team, not even more than the beginner tiniest money he’s listed to make this time of year.

He’s always the assistance of personality safeguarded, spoken for care of and . He’s become valuable to the Jaguars, and one of the most popular players on the team. By taking care of , he care of himself.

Posted on August 16th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: NFL football news