Adereio Jones, who is a senior at Greenville University, is having a season to remember. This young man is really showing out and putting the defense on his back with his excellent defensive playmaking abilities. Jones came to Greenville University as an offensive player but was switched to defense his sophomore year. Jones has really come along way from having to transition from running, catching, and scoring touchdowns to chasing people and trying to keep them from scoring a touchdown. This senior season has been one to really remember because Jones is number five in the nation snagging five interceptions with one scored for his first college touchdown. Jones has brought some much needed recognition to the Greenville Panthers with his winning UMAC Defensive Player of the Week.
The last time Greenville University has won any major defensive awards was the alumnus NFL player Nick Morrow winning several in 2017. Jones says the change in the program has really helped him this season. Greenville Football is having the best start off since Jones has joined because the team goes harder in the weight room with every teammate keeping each other accountable for everything. Jones says this is his savage season and that he plans to put it all on the line because this is his last season as a Greenville Panther. Jones wants to dedicate all his success and awards he has won to his family, his friends who didn’t live long enough to see him get this far, and his friend Will who is a former GU panther.
Jones comes from a neighborhood in Baltimore that most people don’t make it crossing the street. He went from growing up as a kid who just played football outside until the streetlights came on to a college football player and it has been a proud accomplishment for him. Only the strong survive where Jones’ neighborhood is located. That is what pushed Jones to sports and kept him on the right path to success. Besides winning out the rest of the season making it the UMAC Conference Championship, Jones has a mission to upgrade from Defensive Player of the Week to Defensive Player of the Year. He told his Ma Dukes (mother) he was going to make her proud this season and he has started off strong.
The mighty Jones says even if the plan does not work in his favor for the team to push forward to his first Conference Championship, he is still blessed and thankful for meeting a solid group of guys. Jones has shocked many people with his early-season performance and says he is just getting started. Jones also says he felt a change in his play once he switched his number from number thirty-six to sixteen. He says, “Sometimes you have to feel good to play good. This number sixteen makes me feel like I am very unstoppable.” Greenville University defensive back Dereio Jones plans to make history this season. Stay tuned!
