By Bill Koch
Jason Kelce’s switch from linebacker to the offensive line while he was at UC couldn’t have worked out any better for the All-Pro Eagles’ center, but sometimes position changes don’t work out. Take the case of former UC quarterback Demetrius Jones.
Jones transferred to UC from Notre Dame in 2007. He had started the Fighting Irish’s season opener at quarterback that year, but after he lost his starting position, he decided to leave and ended up with Brian Kelly and the Bearcats.
Shortly after he arrived in Cincinnati, doctors discovered that he needed surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum. He was one of five quarterbacks who saw action in UC’s Orange Bowl year of 2008, but by 2009 Tony Pike had cemented his status as the Bearcats’ starting quarterback.
That’s when Kelly asked him to move to linebacker.
At first, Jones was willing to give it a shot, but by the time I talked to him at spring practice in April 2009, he hadn’t given up on playing quarterback.
“This is something temporary for me,” Jones said when I asked him about playing linebacker. “Depending on how the spring goes and how things work over on offense, that’s what I’ll be basing my next move on. I know I can play quarterback. At the same time, I know I’m an athlete. I’m fast and there’s other things I can do.”
I went back to Kelly and told him that Jones believed his switch to linebacker depended on whether he liked it or not. If he didn’t like it, he could move back to quarterback.
That’s not how Kelly saw it.
“He’s playing defense,” Kelly said. “His only other option would be to play another sport. I don’t think he wants to play another sport. I think he wants to play football.”
In two years as a reserve linebacker, Jones recorded 36 tackles and had one interception. In 2010, after Kelly had left for Notre Dame, Jones transferred again, this time to Division II Central State, where he played wide receiver and tight end.
At least he didn’t have to play defense.
Jason Kelce’s switch from linebacker to the offensive line while he was at UC couldn’t have worked out any better for the All-Pro Eagles’ center, but sometimes position changes don’t work out. Take the case of former UC quarterback Demetrius Jones.
Jones transferred to UC from Notre Dame in 2007. He had started the Fighting Irish’s season opener at quarterback that year, but after he lost his starting position, he decided to leave and ended up with Brian Kelly and the Bearcats.
Shortly after he arrived in Cincinnati, doctors discovered that he needed surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum. He was one of five quarterbacks who saw action in UC’s Orange Bowl year of 2008, but by 2009 Tony Pike had cemented his status as the Bearcats’ starting quarterback.
That’s when Kelly asked him to move to linebacker.
At first, Jones was willing to give it a shot, but by the time I talked to him at spring practice in April 2009, he hadn’t given up on playing quarterback.
“This is something temporary for me,” Jones said when I asked him about playing linebacker. “Depending on how the spring goes and how things work over on offense, that’s what I’ll be basing my next move on. I know I can play quarterback. At the same time, I know I’m an athlete. I’m fast and there’s other things I can do.”
I went back to Kelly and told him that Jones believed his switch to linebacker depended on whether he liked it or not. If he didn’t like it, he could move back to quarterback.
That’s not how Kelly saw it.
“He’s playing defense,” Kelly said. “His only other option would be to play another sport. I don’t think he wants to play another sport. I think he wants to play football.”
In two years as a reserve linebacker, Jones recorded 36 tackles and had one interception. In 2010, after Kelly had left for Notre Dame, Jones transferred again, this time to Division II Central State, where he played wide receiver and tight end.
At least he didn’t have to play defense.
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