Jones’ pick stuns Wildcats
Arizona State defensive back Jack Jones had always wanted to throw the ball into the stands after a pick. He just didn’t have the right setting until 9:49 in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 38-15 win over Arizona when he read Arizona quarterback Will Plummer’s pass and returned it for an 87-yard touchdown.
“I was excited and I was thinking about that at USC, when I was at USC, I was thinking about my first pick-6, I’ll throw it in the stands, but never had that opportunity. So when I saw it, it was just go to me,” Jones said.
However, not everyone at ASU was pleased with the gesture that cost Jones two penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“Jack doesn’t overdo it, he really does it,” head coach Herm Edwards said. “I said if you throw that in the stands in the NFL, that’s going to cost you money, and you don’t have any money. So stop
doing that.”
Jones gave Arizona flashbacks of his performance against the Wildcats in 2019 when he turned the tide twice on two interceptions in the 24-14 win over Arizona. He made his appearance count in the rivalry game’s return to Sun Devil Stadium with two big turnovers off Arizona.
“Jack’s been that guy from day one.
When you need to make a play, I always tell him, I need you to go do it and when his number is called, he’s always been there for us,” ASU defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce said.
Jones and Pierce’s relationship extends back to Jones’ days at Long Beach Poly High School where Pierce was the head coach. That connection helped bring Jones to ASU after he was dismissed from USC following his sophomore season due to academic issues.
However, President Michael Crow had to be involved in bringing Jones to Arizona State due to a past incident where Jones pled guilty to a seconddegree misdemeanor charge of commercial burglary in October of 2018. The felony charges were dropped as part of the plea, but Jones served 45 days of house arrest with three years of informal probation.
Jones made strides in and outside the field as he earned the Scholar Baller honor and will graduate following the season.