Jones: Taking risks has rewards
By Ferd Lewis
and Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writers
Coach June Jones is back in the office these days, beginning to make a dent in the pile of cards and letters that awaited his return from the hospital and watching videotapes from the University of Hawai'i football team's spring practice.
There still are many more hours of rehabilitation ahead in trying to recover from the effects of his near-fatal Feb. 22 car crash on the H-1 Freeway near the Honolulu International Airport, but he has again assumed hands-on control of the Warriors.
Slowly, and at times with a teeth-clenched smile that hints at the pain he still feels, Jones said he is putting back together the life of one of the state's most visible public figures and preparing for his third season as the Warriors' head coach.
Over a plate of fried okra, a taste he acquired from his years with Atlanta in the NFL, Jones sat down with The Advertiser in a wide-ranging, hour-long, question-and-answer session and talked about his recovery, his team and the season ahead.
On the accident:
"The reason I know I fell asleep is the poles that I hit were so far off the road that if I had reached for the phone or done something out of the ordinary, I had so much time to correct it and miss. The only thing I could have done was fall asleep.
"They said if I hadn't hit (the poles) the way I did, I would have been dead. I hit (the poles) airborne, and I was coming down and (the impact) drove the engine down instead of back. If I hit it squarely, they said, 'No way.' The way (the car) hit (the poles) went down instead of backwards. All that stuff is so lucky."
On being back:
"When I rode my (Harley) again for the first time a couple of weeks ago it was like the only thing I hadn't done that I normally do. So, when I did it that day, it was like 'I'm back!'
"It is behind me now. I went around the island, about 70 mph in a couple areas. (The thrill) is living on the edge, man. It is like fourth-and-1 when you throw the ball. It kinda takes your breath away, really. It probably isn't the smartest thing to do, but my feeling on life is if you're not willing to have (guts) enough to take chances, you're never going to realize greatness. And even though that might not be a great example of that, I kinda think the reason I do some of that is having the guts to do certain things in my career that nobody else would do to achieve what I wanted to achieve."
On taking fewer risks:
"I promised Jim (Leahey, KFVE's sportscaster) I wouldn't go 120 (mph) anymore on my bike, but I have a feeling I will."
On his memory:
"People said my family was all there (in the hospital) and a whole bunch of people came from Atlanta. I don't remember, even 10 days after the accident, ever talking to anybody. The first people I remember seeing were (assistant coach Dennis) McKnight and (former UH head coach) Dick Tomey."
On last season:
"I have told people this: Last year was the best coaching job I've ever done. I know that because of the way the kids reacted. They never quit, they stuck together, they fought all the way every game no matter what happened. And that ain't easy to do when you are losing. It's not easy to go out and play your a-- off ... to get them to play their a--es off, every week. And they did that. That's why I say as far as myself and the rest of my staff, that was a better coaching job than we did the year before (at 9-4).
"I think that last season, even the last game, going down to the final seconds, was what it was all about. We're 3-9, and we're still playing our a-- off right until the clock goes off, and that's what it is all about as a coach. It is easy to coach when you are 10-2 or 11-1 or whatever it is. It is easy to get them to play that hard. But when you are 3-9, that's where you earn your money, and all of us earned our money in that season."
On his coaching style:
"I don't think anything will change. I tell you one thing, I'm going to stay behind the line of scrimmage. You won't see me in front of the ball. I don't want to get my a-- run over. We'll be the same way we've been. We'll throw the ball and play exciting football and do a lot of things the average guy won't do, won't have the guts to do."
On the possibility of playing a Friday night game:
"I hope we don't do it. I think the Friday night thing would be a nightmare for all of us. Traffic? People won't like it. I don't want to play in the afternoon. But I wouldn't mind that (on the road) because I wouldn't have those problems to deal with. But playing here (on Fridays) doesn't make any sense to me. We're already nationally exposed with KHNL, and I really don't care about getting (on television in) the East Coast, anyway. Everybody I want to have the game on for is in our recruiting areas in California and the West, and they get it on Fox (Sports Net). I personally think (Friday night home games) are more of a pain in the butt."
On playing a game in Japan:
"We've talked to the NCAA, and there are some rules on playing (out of) country. One of them is that it has to be as your bowl game. And, so, if we play it as the first game of the year we couldn't play in a bowl game. The only way we could do it, it sounds like, is if we can corporately sell it and guarantee enough money for both teams."
On the team's progress:
"That will be easier to answer after this season. I think we played a lot of young players last year and we're going to reap the benefits of that this year. A lot of those players have more years after (2001), so we'll see where it goes. Every year we are getting a little closer. We have more depth this year than we had, especially on the offensive line; more than they have had ever here."
On team's potential:
"I think we have, potentially, a lot of very, very good football players. A lot of them have to do it in their senior year. But I think our two safeties (Nate Jackson and Jacob Espiau) are very gifted players. I think (right guard) Vince Manuwai might be as fine an offensive lineman as I've ever coached. I think (right wide receiver) Ashley Lelie, if he stays healthy, I'll be disappointed if he is not a first- or second-round pick next year. We have some young players who are gonna make a name for themselves this year, too."
On spring practice:
"I kind of see a couple things I have chosen as I watched (tapes) this spring, and read in the newspaper. In my own mind, I picked a couple of things to zero in on to help a couple of guys on our team. I think (quarterback) Timmy Chang has a chance to be a great player, and it is my job to get him to be a great player. I'm gonna take it upon myself to see that he does that."
On backup QB Nick Rolovich:
"Rolo played good the next time he got to play because he understood the system better. Timmy had played in the system in high school and had some background. Even right now, Rolo looks all the part to me because he has had a year under his belt in what we do and he's gonna be a better player this year, too. It wouldn't surprise me that if he gets his shot, he ain't gonna give it back up."
