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THIRD IN A SERIES
It did not seem very long ago when Daronte’ Jones made his first trip to Hawaii.
OK, it was just two months ago.
"My first time in Hawaii was when I got here (in January)," said Jones, who was hired as the Hawaii football team’s assistant coach in charge of defensive backs. "I had never been here before."
Jones, who was raised in Maryland, criss-crossed the country in building his coaching resume.
"When you’re trying to get your foot wet in the business, you’re going to travel," Jones said. "It’s about sacrificing for the dream. It took me from east to south (Nicholls State in Louisiana), and then back to east (Bowie State in Maryland) and then to west (UCLA), and then back to east (Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League), and now further west."
It was at UCLA where he met Norm Chow, who was the Bruins’ offensive coordinator. When Chow was hired as UH’s head coach in December, he placed the international call to Jones in Montreal.
"At UCLA, he was on offense and I was on defense, so our interaction was pretty much in the office," Jones said. "It was good. I got to know him. He’s a great guy to know."
Jones became involved in sports at the insistence of his mother.
"Idle hands are the devil’s workshop," said Jones, who competed in football, basketball and track.
It was a neck injury that led Jones to coaching. He suffered the injury as a sophomore at Morgan State. While recovering, he was asked to help with the defense.
Midway through his junior year, Jones was told the injury would end his playing career.
"It was tough when you have something you love, and somebody says you can’t play anymore," Jones said. "I saw helping out as something temporary until I could play again. That never occurred."
But Jones soon embraced coaching.
"I’m fortunate to be blessed to do what I do," said Jones, whose neck has healed completely. "Waking up in the morning and coming to work is a blessing."
At UH, Jones will coach the entire defensive secondary. The past few years, the cornerbacks and safeties had separate coaches.
"It’s not a big thing," Jones said.
After all, in the CFL, the base defense features six defensive backs.
"You have to watch them all," he said.
In college football, only one player at a time is allowed to be in motion, and the movement is laterally. In the CFL, six of the 12 on-field offensive players are allowed to be in motion at the same time, including a straightaway direction.
"(Receivers) can align 15 yards deep, and they’re sprinting as they come to the line of scrimmage," Jones said. "Imagine three or four guys coming at you. It was a great adjustment."
Jones viewed it as a great opportunity.
"You have to think outside of the box," Jones said of the coverages. "You have to be open-minded and creative. I liked that."
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TODAY’S POSITION >> DEFENSIVE BACK
Daronte’ Jones is in charge of the Warriors’ cornerbacks, safeties and nickelbacks. Here’s a look at those positions:
>> Key losses: Cornerback Tank Hopkins; safeties Richard Torres, Kenny Estes
>> By the numbers: The Warriors were better pass defenders on third down (three touchdowns allowed, seven interceptions) than the first two downs combined (23 TDs, six picks).
>> Top returners: Corners Mike Edwards, Kawika Ornellas, Dee Maggitt; safeties John Hardy-Tuliau, Leroy Lutu, Brian Clay; nickelback Mike Sellers
>> Keep an eye on: Bubba Poueu-Luna has endured several physical setbacks in his first two UH years, including a broken foot in 2010 and an illness that kept him from the final two games of 2011. When healthy, his skills have drawn comparisons to those of his childhood friend, Hardy-Tuliau. There was a point when Poueu-Luna was one of the top coverage players on special teams, a tribute to his aggressiveness and open-field tackling ability.
>> The future: As a senior in 2011, Miramar High’s Marrell Jackson was tops in Florida with 12 interceptions. Miramar played in the state title game, proving Jackson is ready-made to compete against top-level talent.
>> Spring work: The Warriors are giving the players the choice of positions this spring. That means Hardy-Tuliau and Brian Clay have to decide between being corner or safety. Sellers also has the option between safety and nickelback, although he probably could play corner, too. Edwards will have a limited role while he continues to rehab from shoulder surgery. He should be fine by the summer. Poueu-Luna and Lutu have shots at starting safety jobs. Jones said there is a “clean slate.” Jones said the preference is corners with “feet, hips and ball skills.” He wants safeties who have “ball skills and are tough. Their footwork doesn’t have to be as solid (as a cornerback’s), but they have to be tough.”
>> Final words: On the defensive scheme, Jones said: “Our personnel will dictate what we can or can’t do. It’s not what your coaches know, it’s what your players can do.”
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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM