Warrior coach working himself back into shape
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Before dawn's early light, University of Hawai'i football coach June Jones will add more aches to an already sore body.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
The February car accident, which nearly seized his life, left him with legs that "aren't able to do certain things" and a neck that "doesn't turn as it should." Still, beginning at 5:30 each morning, he will lift weights for two hours in the school's Waterhouse Training Facility.
Weightlifting and golf have helped June Jones, who has regained 29 of the 34 pounds he lost after the car crash.
"They gave me my own key," he said.
Alone, except for his thoughts, which almost always are on football, Jones will "lift and push. I make it hurt. I know, eventually, it won't hurt."
He said he does not expect to be at full strength for several more months. The pain, he said, will prevent him from attending the Western Athletic Conference Media Preview, which begins tomorrow in Reno, Nev. He skipped the meeting for WAC football coaches last weekend in Boise, Idaho.
But, Jones said he will not have any problems making any of the team's road trips or standing on the sidelines during games.
"I'll be ready to do everything I need to do," he said.
In recent months, he has focused on his physical rehabilitation and mental preparation for the coming season. Jones, who spoke at more than 150 clinics and seminars in his first year as UH coach, has made one public speaking engagement since the accident.
"I'm optimistic," he said, referring to both his recovery and the Warriors' outlook. "We have a shot to be a really good football team. It will come down to playing together, fighting through tough times, avoiding injuries and winning close games. But every year will be like that. It will always come down to how you handle adversity. We have a lot of players coming back who know how to handle difficult situations."
Because of last year's inexperience — there were first-year starters at quarterback and four of the five blocking positions — Jones did not use the entire menu of his run-and-shoot offense. He said the offense will expand this year, with new routes added.
While his three recruiting classes have improved the team's depth, he is not certain he will widen the playing rotation.
"The best players will play," he said.
For now, while his coaches are on vacation, Jones works on his own comeback. He said he weighs 206 pounds, "five pounds short of what I weighed before the wreck."
When he was released from the Queen's Medical Center, he was 177 pounds. "The last time I weighed 177, I was in the eighth grade, I think," he said.
"I'm feeling better every day," Jones added. "I'm still sore; I think I'll be sore for quite a while. But I'm working hard to get better."
