Devin Jones wears No. 6 — as in pick-6.
The speedy defensive halfback returned an interception for a touchdown on Friday during an eight-on-eight drill at the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ rookie camp.
“It was fun, man,” Jones said at Griffiths Stadium. “I was not about to stop. My teammates kept pushing me to go and score.
“That’s our mentality on defence every time: Pick the ball off to score. Always want to score. Have fun with it.”
The same phrasing could describe Jones’ approach to life in general.
Personable and engaging, he stops smiling only when duty calls and the serious business of professional football takes precedence.
But as soon as there is any chance to unwind, the easygoing demeanour returns in an instant.
After Friday’s session, for example, Jones amicably conducted an interview and then began to make his way back to the locker room.
There was a detour, however, when Jones noticed that Blaine and Maggie Pelletier — the parents of University of Regina Rams quarterback and Coors Light Rider Training Camp intern Noah Pelletier — had brought two of their dogs to the practice facility.
Jones rushed over, introduced himself to everyone, and even charmed the growlers before wishing all parties a nice day.
Sometimes you can tell a book by its cover.
Just by looking at the cheerful-looking photo that accompanies Jones’ bio on this very website, you immediately reach the conclusion that he is a nice person.
“My parents taught me that you don’t want to have a mugshot,” the 24-year-old son of Anika and Carter Jones said. “You just want to smile. It makes people want to come to you. If you’re glowing, it just makes people want to naturally flow to you.
“I’m a big family person and a big people person. I like getting to know people. I like making friends.”
And making plays.
While attending the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Jones registered six touchdowns despite playing primarily on defence.
Most notable was a 2019 season in which he scored on three kickoff returns. The previous year, he had reached paydirt on a 100-yard kickoff return.
With four kickoff-return TDs in total, he is UNC-Pembroke’s all-time leader.
As a senior in 2021, he went the distance on an 80-yard punt return and, while moonlighting on offence, also hauled in a 57-yard touchdown pass.
Yes, that 4.43-second speed in the 40-yard dash does come in handy.
Jones could give the Roughriders another explosive returner to complement Mario Alford, who was named the CFL’s top special-teams player in 2022. “I believe we have the best return man in the CFL,” Jones said, “and I think (rival teams) are going to try to kick away from him and try to do some things to get the ball away from him.
“I’m hoping that now we have two of us, so they’re going to have trouble either way.”
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Jones was introduced to Alford and the Roughriders’ organization after signing with the team and being placed on the practice roster in late September of last year. Earlier in 2022, he had attended the Carolina Panthers’ rookie mini-camp before spending the pre-season with the NFL team.
Now the objective is to experience an entire CFL season with Saskatchewan, having been part of the equation from Day 1 so far in 2023.
He already appreciates a smaller-market vibe that is reminiscent of his hometown — Mooresville, N.C. Population: 51,000.
“I love it here,” Jones said. “I feel like this is family. I feel like I’m from here.”
Regina, Saskatoon and even Mooresville look like a metropolis compared to Pembroke, N.C., which has roughly 3,000 residents.
“I embrace a low-profile place,” Jones said. “If you’re really focused on football, the team is like a family. There’s not much to do (in Pembroke) except play football, make friends and enjoy your family.”
The spotlight does not shine as brightly at the smaller schools, but Jones is able to use that advantageously.
“You don’t hear a lot about Division 2 football, but I will say this: There’s a lot of dogs in D2 — a lot of people who are really, really good.
“I’m actually thankful that I went to D2. We have a lot of grind to us, a lot of grit to us, and we have something to prove every day.
“Even though I’m out here with an opportunity, I have something to prove, because at the end of the day, someone from Alabama has the edge over me. So I have to keep improving every day and keep going.”
The improvement was noted within a 24-hour period.
On Thursday, Jones diagnosed a short pass, jumped the route, and nearly made an interception.
He followed up on Friday by making the correct read, again, and then finishing the play with an interception that he took the distance.
“You’re making the jump every day,” said Jones, who hopes to continue that progression when main training camp begins on Sunday. “My footwork was messed up yesterday. There was a slight tweak and I got after it today.
“That’s what they coach us on. They’re big on improving by one per cent each day. Not everybody’s going to be perfect, but we’ve got three days to improve (at rookie camp).
“If you improve every day, you’ll make it far in this league.”
