LAKE FOREST, Ill. - It's taken Thomas Jones much longer than expected to achieve the type of success he envisioned when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2000 draft.
But it's not like the running back has experienced some sort of magical transformation. Jones insists that he's the same player who concluded a spectacular career at Virginia ranked fourth on the ACC's career rushing list with 3,998 yards.
Thomas Jones ranks third in the NFC in rushing with 641 yards in six games.
The difference is that the Bears have given him a chance to flourish.
"Right now the way I'm playing is the way I've always been able to play," Jones said. "I just really haven't had the opportunity to get the ball like I'm getting it now.
"I'm not a different running back. I'm the same guy. I'm running it pretty much the same way I was running it in college. I have the same instincts and the same athletic ability. I catch the ball; I was a blocker in college, too. I take pride in everything I have to do as a running back.
"Obviously, you gain more experience while you're in the games, but I definitely feel like I'm the same running back I was when I (was drafted)."
Jones has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games and ranks third in the NFC with 641 yards and 6 touchdowns on 134 carries. In four seasons with Arizona (2000-02) and Tampa Bay (2003) prior to joining the Bears, he only had 112, 112, 138 and 137 rushing attempts.
"If you bring Edgerrin James out in the draft and he doesn't get the ball 25 times a game, what are you going to expect from him?" Jones said. "That's kind of been my situation."
The most impressive aspect of Jones' performance is that he's amassed his yards while being targeted by defenses that have routinely placed eight tacklers close to the line of scrimmage.
"Thomas Jones is making guys miss," said Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz. "There are guys in the box that we can't block because there are too many of them.
"Thomas is making that extra guy miss and he's running like he's the best back in the league right now. There are a lot of other backs that have more yards than him, but everybody keys on Thomas and he still gets yards."
Jones appears certain to eclipse the career highs he set last year when he rushed for 948 yards and 7 TDs in his first season with the Bears. He's currently on pace to gain 1,709 yards and needs to average just over 121 yards per game to break Walter Payton's single season rushing mark of 1,852 yards set in 1977.
Jones, however, is not concerned with personal goals.
"I feel like if I go out there and do my best to help the team win, good things are going to happen," he said. "That's my mindset. I'll go out there this weekend (in Detroit) and try to do the best I can to help us win; try to score points and get as many yards as I can.
"When you focus on winning, the accolades and whatever else is supposed to come to you will come."
Though Jones didn't achieve the success he expected early in his career, he refuses to live in the past.
"I'm not thinking about where I was drafted five or six years ago," he said. "I'm thinking about right now. I'm enjoying football; having a good time and playing on a great team. I like my teammates, I like the organization and I like being here.
"Of course it was frustrating, but I'm the type of player that I just keep playing and playing and eventually something's going to happen. If it didn't happen, then it wasn't (meant) to happen. That's just how I live my life; that's how I think. I do my best and let the chips fall where they may."
Pretty good article on TJ. Just thought id share, obviously though Chicago should remember what pick TJ was in the draft because they picked Urlacher at 9, and of course TJ was picked 7th.
But it's not like the running back has experienced some sort of magical transformation. Jones insists that he's the same player who concluded a spectacular career at Virginia ranked fourth on the ACC's career rushing list with 3,998 yards.
Thomas Jones ranks third in the NFC in rushing with 641 yards in six games.
The difference is that the Bears have given him a chance to flourish.
"Right now the way I'm playing is the way I've always been able to play," Jones said. "I just really haven't had the opportunity to get the ball like I'm getting it now.
"I'm not a different running back. I'm the same guy. I'm running it pretty much the same way I was running it in college. I have the same instincts and the same athletic ability. I catch the ball; I was a blocker in college, too. I take pride in everything I have to do as a running back.
"Obviously, you gain more experience while you're in the games, but I definitely feel like I'm the same running back I was when I (was drafted)."
Jones has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games and ranks third in the NFC with 641 yards and 6 touchdowns on 134 carries. In four seasons with Arizona (2000-02) and Tampa Bay (2003) prior to joining the Bears, he only had 112, 112, 138 and 137 rushing attempts.
"If you bring Edgerrin James out in the draft and he doesn't get the ball 25 times a game, what are you going to expect from him?" Jones said. "That's kind of been my situation."
The most impressive aspect of Jones' performance is that he's amassed his yards while being targeted by defenses that have routinely placed eight tacklers close to the line of scrimmage.
"Thomas Jones is making guys miss," said Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz. "There are guys in the box that we can't block because there are too many of them.
"Thomas is making that extra guy miss and he's running like he's the best back in the league right now. There are a lot of other backs that have more yards than him, but everybody keys on Thomas and he still gets yards."
Jones appears certain to eclipse the career highs he set last year when he rushed for 948 yards and 7 TDs in his first season with the Bears. He's currently on pace to gain 1,709 yards and needs to average just over 121 yards per game to break Walter Payton's single season rushing mark of 1,852 yards set in 1977.
Jones, however, is not concerned with personal goals.
"I feel like if I go out there and do my best to help the team win, good things are going to happen," he said. "That's my mindset. I'll go out there this weekend (in Detroit) and try to do the best I can to help us win; try to score points and get as many yards as I can.
"When you focus on winning, the accolades and whatever else is supposed to come to you will come."
Though Jones didn't achieve the success he expected early in his career, he refuses to live in the past.
"I'm not thinking about where I was drafted five or six years ago," he said. "I'm thinking about right now. I'm enjoying football; having a good time and playing on a great team. I like my teammates, I like the organization and I like being here.
"Of course it was frustrating, but I'm the type of player that I just keep playing and playing and eventually something's going to happen. If it didn't happen, then it wasn't (meant) to happen. That's just how I live my life; that's how I think. I do my best and let the chips fall where they may."
Pretty good article on TJ. Just thought id share, obviously though Chicago should remember what pick TJ was in the draft because they picked Urlacher at 9, and of course TJ was picked 7th.
