Barrett Jones: Alabama Outland Trophy Winner To Forgo NFL for Senior Year

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

Last week, in an article speculating whether junior Alabama left tackle and Outland Trophy winner Barrett Jones would stay for his senior season, I listed all the reasons that Jones might stay.

But there was one that I didn't list and one he mentioned in his press conference statement following practice this week, and that was just plain old fun. The kind of fun that comes from being with his friends, playing in that Crimson jersey in front of a fan base he loves and the whole atmosphere of college life with his brother.

U of A media reports that, in his press conference following practice Friday, Barrett said, "I have decided that I will be coming back to Alabama next year. I sat down with my family and made a list of pros and cons and decided I love college, I love being at Alabama and I love putting on the crimson jersey. I have a great group of friends, and I am in no hurry to get to the NFL. I do want to play in the NFL one day but I am not in any rush.

"I guess the main reason to stay is that I love being here," Jones said. "That sounds cliche but, I don't know if life gets better than this. I really enjoy being here. I love our coaching staff. Coach (Jeff) Stoutland, I really enjoyed playing for him this year, and I've just had a lot of fun. It's been the most fun I've had being on a team in a long time."

He will also get to play alongside his brother Harrison Jones, a redshirt freshman tight end, something that is special to both he and his brother as well as his entire family.

The two are roommates as well as teammates. Barrett loves teasing him and recently made fun of him to the media concerning both his social skills with women and his love, or lack thereof, of studying.

“He’s got himself a little, I won’t embarrass him too much, but he has a new friend who’s a girl, and he never really does much reading,” a chuckling Barrett Jones said after Friday’s practice. “I walk in at 2 a.m. after watching a movie and he’s reading a book. It’s something I’ve never seen before. I thought to myself, ‘Why would he be reading a book?’

“There’s obviously only one solution, it’s because of a girl.” Harrison's girlfriend had read the book, talked of it often and the younger Jones brother obviously wanted to impress her that he had read it.

When I interviewed Jones earlier at the start of the season and asked him if he was simply going to play left tackle until somebody else "got up to speed," the question made him bristle and he replied, "I thought I was doing a pretty good job of it myself," and made it clear that the job was his.

As the season went on, I told Jones in another interview that indeed, he was doing a good job at left tackle and asked him if he missed playing guard.

"I have really enjoyed playing left tackle and taking on a new challenge," he said. "This is where I was needed and this is where I'll play. I don't miss playing guard. I'm enjoying this right now."

It was the second position Jones has played and earned All-American status following his years at guard. Could a third position be in the cards for this most versatile offensive lineman?

"I think there's a good chance he'll probably play center next year," William Vlachos said at the same press conference. "If you'd told me a couple of years ago that Drew Davis would be our starting right tackle in 2008, I'd had said you're crazy. And look what he went on to do. But I think there's a chance he'll play center."

As for what Jones thinks of that, he said, "I don't know what next year will bring. I've heard scenarios just like you guys have. I don't know where I project best at.

"You read online and apparently everyone else knows what I'm best at. They know Barrett's not a natural tackle, or they know he's not a natural guard, he's more of a natural center, who knows? I don't know the answer. I've heard different things from different people. We'll just see where next year goes...I feel like I've done alright at tackle. I've had a decent year and it's been fun playing over there."

But most do feel Jones will be the starting center next season and could be the first player in Alabama history, possibly in all of college football, to earn All-America status at three different positions.

Whatever position he plays, his return will mean that Alabama will have one of the best offensive lines in the nation, and that's bad news for opposing teams.