FREE: Sophomore-to-be safety Cameron Jones earning his spring stripes
In our Spring Camp Update on the secondary, defensive coordinator Jay Bateman was quick to point out his excitement toward the development of soon-to-be sophomore safety Cameron Jones, who has a very productive spring session and who has be battling for reps against junior James Gibson at the boundary safety.
However, the DC pointed out that one of the qualities that the product of Columbia (SC) brings to the defense is his ability to play both safety spots [field and boundary].
GoBlackKnights.com had opportunity to chat with upcoming defender after Wednesday practice, where he was still in crafting his skills mode.
“Practice was good today and I improved on some things and got better,” stated Jones, who talked a little about putting in the work in both safety positions.
“I’ve been playing both throughout the spring,” explained Jones. “I’m pretty confident with bandit, but I’ve been getting reps at free safety ... trying to learn both positions, so they can use me when they need me. I’m getting the hang of free safety now and as spring goes on.”
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A SEASON MAKES!
This time last year, Jones was still closing out his senior year in high school. He spoke about the difference both mentally and physically from spring camp 2017 versus summer camp 2016 when you came in as freshman.
“Coming in as a freshman, confidence is pretty low and you are just trying to get in there and learn the plays,” Jones explained. “But with the experience, you just going out there and trying to improve after you know everything. It’s just a matter of sharpening your sword everyday, which means playing with confidence.”
Needless to say, part of the maturation of the up and coming safety has his commitment to developing himself as a ball player. He shared with GBK some of the things he has worked on during the off-season to prepare himself for his upcoming sophomore year.
“I would say that watching film was a big thing, learning from mistakes, looking at what they did last year and just looking it over and over again,” he declared. “But also, getting caught up on the coverages, know my role and what I’m suppose to do.”
Head Coach Jeff Monken and Bateman still a relatively seasoned defense unit, despite losing Andrew King, Jeremy Timpf and Xavier Moss to graduation and being ranked 4th in the nation in 2016.
So, where does Jones see himself fitting into the mix?
“I would say one of my strong suits is pass [coverage], so I would say that I would go in at Dime a lot more and go in against passing teams a lot more than I would against teams like Air Force and Navy,” stated Jones, who readily admitted that there is still a need improve his talents when it comes to run support.
“Yes, that is the main thing that I’ve been working on during the off-season ... trying to get the hang and roll coverage, reading up on all my coverages, my assignments and what I’m suppose to do,” offered Jones.
However, one thing Army fans will surely get from this talented defender is his continuous spirit to learn and improve. Jones shared that one of the most memorable on-the-field lessons came from Army’s win over Navy last December.
“It gave me the exposure to a big crowd, where I feel more comfortable and seeing us down and never quitting ... coming back and fighting and never giving up,” shared the 6-foot-0, 200 pounder. “It just makes me want to try harder for the team.”
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