Remembering a legend

April 4, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New Orleans VooDoo News Release


Even though he is 35 years young, VooDoo WR Tyronne Jones is known to players, coaches and fans alike as one of the most energetic players on the VooDoo roster. One of the first players to arrive at the VooDoo facility everyday, Jones is one of the first players on the field after breakfast and meetings to stretch out and prepare for the club's hour and 45 minute practices. However, today, Jones possessed a certain level of reflection during his routine after finding out by watching television in the team's cafeteria that his former college coach Eddie Robinson had passed away shortly before midnight on Tuesday at 88.

"He was like a father to me," said Jones. "I came into the system with him and he believed in me. He gave me the opportunity. It's a great loss for me."

This passing is one that the entire nation as well as the state of Louisiana will reflect on. Although he and his wife Doris had only two children, he was undoubtedly looked at as a father figure by Jones and thousands of his former players. Robinson spent 55 seasons as the head coach at Grambling, located in the northern part of the state. His tenure as coach spanned 11 presidents, wars and the civil rights movement.

In addition to Robinson's social impact, impacting young men both before and after the period of segregation, his excellence on the field and his 408 wins will be remembered. Until four years ago, Robinson's win total was the greatest in college football. Even now, he outdistances Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden and Penn State legend Joe Paterno by 42 and 39 victories respectively.

However, for men who played for him and interacted with him on a daily basis like Jones, they remember and reflect about the legend today for his great humanity and personal interest in each of them more than his coaching acumen.

Growing up in the Desire Street Housing Development, Jones aspired to play college football since he was a youth, not letting his 5-9, 170 pound frame get in the way of that. He had advanced to be the starting running back at Carver High School ahead of future NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk. At 15 years old he attended the Bayou Classic rivalry at the Louisiana Superdome, saw the legend for the first time in person and decided that he wanted to play for him.

"I knew who he was, but to her what everybody had to say about him made me want to go to a black college and to play for him," said Jones. Knowing that a coach like that existed in a black college made a lot of people want to play black college football."

Upon arriving on the Grambling campus as a freshman to play the wingback position, which is part running back and part wide receiver, Jones expected to redshirt or see limited action his first season. However, after seeing his competitive nature despite his stature and work ethic that stands out to any observer at a Voodoo practice over 15 years later to this day, Robinson had other ideas.

"I was speechless when he came up to me and wanted me to start playing as a freshman," said Jones. I'm looking at all the other guys that are 6-3 and 6-4 and I'm the smallest wingback in Grambling history. He gave me motivation. He said I could do it based on the tape and the swagger he saw me carry. He said I had the heart of a lion to play football and that I had a chance."

Jones has channeled that early encouragement into excellence at Grambling, as he received All-SWAC honors in 1993 and was named the SWAC Player of the year in 1994. He would then proceed to join the practice squad of the Indianapolis Colts in 1995, where he was then reunited with his former high school teammate Faulk and former VooDoo OS Aaron Bailey. Following his stint with the Colts and playing in the CFL briefly, Jones found his niche when he joined the Arena Football League in 1998 with the Nashville Kats. 10 years later in a homecoming, he leads the VooDoo in receiving with 40 receptions for 439 yards and 12 touchdowns and is eighth all-time among AFL players with 13,694 all-purpose yards. However, Jones knows that he might not have accomplished this if Robinson had not helped him during his college years both on and off the field through some difficult circumstances.

As a sophomore, Jones was pulled off of the practice field to be informed that his 18-year old brother Jonathan had been tragically shot to death in New Orleans. The first thing Robinson told Jones was that he was going to be there for him every step of the way.

What Robinson said, he meant, driving Jones five hours to New Orleans to be with him for his brother's services and staying with his family for a week. Robinson then went home and left Jones with his family to grieve with them and assist them. However, when he was ready to come back to Grambling the following week, the legendary coach drove back to New Orleans picked him up and took him back to campus personally.

"That helped me out a lot," said Jones, reflecting on how Robinson helped him through the most tragic time of his life. "It meant a lot to me. It showed he cared, not only for me, but for other people. He had that knack to give back to all the players, not just in regards for football, but off the field as well."

Even after leaving Grambling, Jones still kept a strong relationship with his former mentor over the years. During a post-practice conversation, he talked about how he would always harp on him finishing his schooling. As a member of the Nashville Kats, Jones was once ejected from a game as part of a fight that both teams were involved in. After hearing about it, he was handed the phone from a member of the Kats front office and was read the riot act. Even though his career rebirth in New Orleans has been well documented, he continues to concentrate on what's ahead rather than the accolades because whenever Coach Robinson would see a player reading a sports page, he would say, "You better be reading about another team or another sport, not about yourself." He feels good that he visited Robinson with his family this past summer when he was fighting Alzheimer's disease in its last stages.

Jones also said that he benefitted from the disciplined approach that Robinson instilled in his players from day one and that it shows in his performance at practice and one the field today, as well as how he looks at himself personally as a husband and father of six. In summary, he does not think that he would be where he is today without Robinson, whose legend will live on forever.

"In your path of life there are always a couple of people that touch you the right way and put you on the right path," said Jones. "That's what Coach Robinson did. I came from the Desire housing projects. He always kept me on that path. He would wake us up at 6:30 in the morning and I couldn't figure out why. He said he was getting us ready for a job and that you couldn't lie in bed all day. Things like that will always stick with you."



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 4, 2007


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