These days, Oregon’s speedy newcomer Derrick Jones is just thankful to be running patterns and catching passes for a college football team.
“I’m glad to be back out here, competing, working hard,” said Jones, who will also join the track team next spring. “I’m just happy to be part of the team.”Jones’ speed was on display
Friday in Oregon’s first padded, full-contact practice.
In addition to returning kickoffs and punts during the two-and-a-half-hour practice, Jones hauled in a touchdown pass from quarterback Brady Leaf to highlight a controlled seven-play intrasquad scrimmage held at the end of Friday’s practice.
“Derrick Jones looks very comfortable on the football field. He’s got a combination of speed and athleticism and hands,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. “He’s got our attention.”
So, is his Samie Parker-like speed a sign of good things to come for the Ducks in 2006? That answer may rest with the NCAA. Jones, a 2004 high-school graduate, is currently awaiting word on whether he will be eligible to compete in the upcoming season.
Out of high school, Jones signed a national letter of intent with USC and participated in a limited number of practices with the Trojans in August 2004 before failing to meet enrollment requirements.
He signed with Oregon for the first time in 2005, but also did not enroll. He again signed with Oregon’s most recent recruiting class.
Now, nearly two years later, Jones is enrolled as a student but considered a transfer by the NCAA because of his prior stint at USC.
According to NCAA rules, a transfer student generally must spend one year of residency at his or her new school before becoming eligible to compete.
The athletics department has filed an appeal to the NCAA regarding Jones’ status and expects word on the decision next month. He has already been cleared to participate in track next spring.
“Obviously, we’d like to know more about his eligibility. Right now, he’s learning day-by-day and that’s the most important thing,” Bellotti said. “But he seems to have a knack for finding the football, and he has the speed and agility to get open, so I like what I see.”
Jones’ impressive speed resulted in 49 catches for 930 yards and 11 touchdowns (three via special teams) and a 200-meter state title, among other track accolades, during his senior season at Long Beach Poly High School.
This came after the 6-foot-1, 186-pound Gardena, Calif., native grabbed 39 receptions for 1,479 yards and 21 touchdowns – five coming on kickoff returns – in his junior year.
Despite his time spent away from football, Jones was adamant that grasping the offense, not conditioning, is his main concern in the spring.
Friday, Jones’ catch and run for a touchdown was the biggest play of the day.
“It was a broken-down play,” said Jones, who caught the pass near the sideline and turned it up for the score. “I just continued with the play and caught the ball.”
Leaf delivered the touchdown pass to Jones and led three plays, as did fellow quarterback Dennis Dixon. Third-stringer Kyle Bennett led the seventh and final play.
Dixon started the scrimmage and completed one pass to Jaison Williams for 10 yards. This came after sophomore-to-be running back Jonathan Stewart carried for four yards and Dixon and company were stuffed on an option attempt for a loss of four yards.
Third-string running back Terrell Jackson carried for one yard on the fourth play and wideout Garren Strong was dropped by defensive back and newcomer Matthew Harper for a loss of two on a bubble screen before Jones’ touchdown catch. Wideout Nicholas Dahlen finished the scrimmage with an acrobatic catch from Bennett.
“Overall, I was pleased,” Bellotti said. “We were a little rusty, but I’ve got to remember it’s our first day in pads.”
Bellotti noted his pleasure with the many ‘fairly violent collisions’ in Friday’s practice.
“It felt good,” Stewart said of the full-contact practice. “It was good just to come out here and see what we had. It’s kind of hard to tell without pads.”

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