Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 10, 1993 TAG: 9312100084
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Instead, he'll spend the afternoon at Salem High School going through Rowan College's final rehearsal before the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the pinnacle of Division III football.
Jones is one of nine transfers who start for Rowan, which meets Mount Union, Ohio, at noon on Saturday at Salem Stadium. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound inside linebacker spent 2 1/2 years on the Cornhuskers' roster before transferring to the Glassboro, N.J. school.
"I'm glad to be participating for this national championship," said Jones, the team's leading tackler. "I feel more responsibility for what happens on the field now. That wouldn't be the case [at Nebraska]."
Jones described his playing time for the Cornhuskers as "basically none," one of the major reasons he left. He said the jump from Division I to Division III didn't bother him.
"I knew the caliber of the school where I was going. I knew about their trip to the semifinals last year," said Jones, who is from Tinton Falls, N.J. "It's the ability you possess, not the level of competition. I still felt I was a good enough athlete to continue playing.
"I feel that if I was still at Nebraska, I'd be getting time now, but I wouldn't be as involved with the national championship as I am at Rowan. I feel I've contributed, sacrificed for this team."
Kicker Rob Juliano shares Jones' sentiments. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native gave up a full scholarship at Vanderbilt when he decided to transfer to Rowan one game into this season.
Juliano, who played in two games last year, handled the kicking duties in the Commodores' opener against Wake Forest. He said he didn't feel Vanderbilt treated him fairly and disliked the separatist atmosphere of the team.
"There were so many differences at Vanderbilt. Here, no matter what the differences, we all get along," Juliano said. "The team is very diverse, but I'm a believer that if you form a common goal, it's easy for people to bond, no matter what their background - black or white, rich or poor.
"Another thing is in Division III, coaches give players a chance to play. The problem with Division I is it's so much of a business now instead of a sport. Most of the guys who play Division III play for the love of the game. When you start playing in this atmosphere, you start to love the game again."
Rowan did not rely on Juliano much for field goals in the regular season; he converted on five of nine attempts. In the playoffs he's added three more on six attempts. Juliano has made 41 of 50 point-after attempts, an 82 percent success rate.
"Being a kicker, when I played at Vanderbilt, I was mostly interested in my own personal gain . . . Since I've been here, my views have changed. I'm more of a team player. I want to be part of the team effort."
Rowan coach K.C. Keeler said he and his staff actively pursue prospects of Division I caliber.
"We actually follow who leaves [from the New Jersey area] on scholarship and who might be coming back," Keeler said. "Because the grass is always greener on the other side until you get there."
Such was the case with quarterback Ed Hesson, the most prolific passer in Rowan history. Hesson played his freshman season on scholarship at Division II New Haven.
"I got injured in the second JV game of the season and that was hard, plus it was 4 1/2 hours from home. I was a little homesick," Hesson said. "Their quarterback was an All-American and was only a junior. I wanted a chance to play."
Rowan would give him that chance, according to Keeler, who said his philosophy is to let the best player play. Hesson started for the Profs the second game of his sophomore season.
"[At Rowan] it's not who you were and what you've done, it's who you are and where you're going," Keeler said. "To win a national championship, you can't just have Division III players. You have to have some Division I players thrown in."
A total of 11 transfers see playing time for the Profs. Five of those represent schools from the Division I level, including Penn State, Towson State and Rutgers.
Hesson, who finished with 2,085 yards passing in the regular season, said the team's diverse makeup of players was a reason why the Profs have advanced to the Stagg Bowl.
"There is no selfishness on this team, no one star," he said. "Every week, there is someone who steps up. That's why this team has played so well."
by CNB