Why Independence High sophomore standout running back Jayden Jones poses a ‘problem’
Independence High football coach DJ McFadden thinks his 15-year-old sophomore running back, 1,500-yard rusher Jayden Jones, has a chance to be really special.
Jones is ranked No. 2 statewide among sophomores in rushing yards, and he’s in the top 40 overall, despite playing only nine of 12 games for the Patriots.
“As long as he takes care of some things in house that he needs to take care of, and continues to grow academically, I don’t see why he shouldn’t be able to pick where he wants to go to (college),” McFadden said. “He’s a sophomore right now and he’s missed three games. If he doesn’t miss those and gets the workload of these other top backs, he’s right there at 2,000 yards.”
McFadden and the Patriots (9-3) are No. 8 in this week’s Charlotte Observer Sweet 16 poll. On Friday, Independence plays at unbeaten Watauga (12-0) in a third-round playoff game.
Independence was seeded No. 23 in the West to start the postseason and beat No. 10-seeded Lake Norman in the first round, 35-0. Last week, it beat No. 7 seed East Forsyth, 34-28, in the second round.
Jones was a big part of both wins.
He had 12 carries for 156 yards against Lake Norman, and he ran 26 times for 208 yards and two scores against East Forsyth. For the season he’s got 1,508 yards and 16 touchdowns, and he’s averaging 11.42 yards on his 132 attempts.
“I’m not too surprised,” Jones said about his team’s postseason performance as well as his own. “I feel like we deserve to be here in the third round. We put in the work and the effort.”
Jones said he’s been working towards moments like these since he was 8 years old. He said part of his chores, like making his bed and vacuuming the floor, was doing 500 push-ups and sit-ups a day.
“My dad used to train me in the backyard for football,” Jones said, “and I used to go out there on Saturday (in Pee Wee ball) and just destroy them. In middle school, I played for Northeast, and I just started scoring touchdowns.”
He’s also added a lot of lower body strength to match all of the upper body work he’d been doing. As a freshman, he was squatting 400 pounds, and when he runs now, you can see how difficult a time opponents have bringing him down. At 5-foot-9, 175 pounds, Jones has a punishing running style. That’s why McFadden sat him during in a couple winnable games this season, to keep him healthy for the stretch run.
“He’s built low,” McFadden said. “He’s a strong kid. And he runs hard and with attitude and that helps him a lot. I mean, the sky’s the limit for this kid, man. I’m excited to see what he’s going to look like next year and what he’s going to look like the year after that. Jayden’s a problem, man.”
Jones said he wants to be great, like his coach once was. McFadden won a pair of state championships with the Patriots nearly 20 years ago.
“I definitely do,” he said. “I look up to Coach. I love my coach and I want to be (a great player) like he was, one of the greatest ever at the school. I want my name on a jersey that’s hanging up in the building.”
