Andre Jones has a motto for the 2008 season: take no plays off.

He means it literally. Akron’s senior safety-turned-wide receiver is seeing action on offense, defense and special teams for the Zips this year.

It’s rare for a college football coach to take a veteran player and throw him on the other side of the ball. Akron head coach J.D. Brookhart did exactly that with two of his team’s best returning players – seniors Jones and Bryan Williams.

Williams, the team’s leading returning rusher, is now playing safety while Jones, a three-year free safety who had 79 tackles and three interceptions last year, is now at receiver.

‘It’s still just football, and they are both football guys,’ Brookhart said. ‘You had all spring camp and fall camp to make that transition so I wasn’t too concerned. There will be some growing pains as there were last week. By the time we get to league play, hopefully they will be impact players on both sides of the ball.’

Syracuse (0-1) will host Akron (0-1) in the Orange’s home opener Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. Jones anticipates playing on both sides of the ball against SU, just like he did last week against Wisconsin.

‘This week they have me playing a little bit of strong safety, cornerback and wide receiver,’ Jones said. ‘When the game comes I guess I am starting on offense, and when the defense goes out I will be right back in there again.’

Wisconsin took care of business against the Zips, 38-17. Still, Williams and Jones were given their first game time at their new positions.

Only one pass went Jones’ way early in the first quarter, but he soon saw action at his old position. By the second quarter Jones was back at safety. He forced and recovered Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill’s goal line fumble to stymie a Badger scoring threat.

Jones also returned a kickoff for 31 yards – the longest of the Zips’ seven returns. At Wisconsin, Jones made the rounds from offense to defense to special teams and recorded stats in all but his ‘official’ wide receiver position.

Meanwhile Williams, in his first game at strong safety, nabbed the game’s sole interception. He even flashed his running back speed, returning the pick 62 yards from the Akron goal line into the Badgers’ territory. That set up an Akron field goal which pulled the Zips within one touchdown.

But neither switch represents the first time Brookhart has shifted his best players around the field.

In 2004, Brookhart moved his leading tackler, Domenik Hixon, to wide receiver. Hixon flourished at his new position, hauling in 66 receptions to tie the Akron single-season record.

Hixon even took his act to the NFL and, although perhaps best-remembered for his collision with former Buffalo tight end Kevin Everett that almost left Everett paralyzed, the fourth-round pick eventually won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants.

In 2005, Brookhart turned his backup quarterback Jabari Arthur into a wide receiver as well. Arthur caught 184 passes over the course of his career at Akron – a school record – and is now a wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs. As a wide receivers coach at Pittsburgh for four years, Brookhart helped develop NFL wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald from Arizona and Tampa Bay’s Antonio Bryant.

The most difficult part of the transition for Jones has been running routes. Jones said his extensive time in the film room has helped him get a better understanding of the game.

‘(Jones) was a great running back in high school so we felt that was a pretty logical move because we needed a little help at the receiver position,’ Brookhart said. ‘I felt that defensively Bryan was recruited defensively by most Big East teams coming out of high school so we are hoping that will be a pretty good fit for him.’

Williams, on the other hand, initially came to Akron to play safety. But his success as a running back at Valley Forge Academy in Pennsylvania made him the most qualified candidate to fill in that spot with the Zips. Last season as Akron’s main back, Williams rushed for 728 yards on 152 carries with two touchdowns.

The two nomads have forged a friendship out of their situation.

‘We just motivate each other, and we became real good friends,’ Jones said. ‘It was funny because he was on offense and I was on defense, so we were never really together in meetings. The only time we got to talk was when we were in special teams meetings. Now he helps me out a lot too when I got back to the defensive side of the ball.’

Akron wide receivers coach Mauro Monz said Jones has been strictly focusing on the wide receiver position since spring practice because he already has extensive knowledge of the other side of the ball. Despite still pitching in when necessary on defense, Jones’ preparations are the same as any other wide receiver.

‘I think (Jones) has made great strides but he has room to grow just like everyone else,’ Monz said. ‘We’re just scratching the surface with him because he’s an explosive player, it’s our job to put him in good situations.’

hscrowle@syr.edu

Published on September 3, 2008 at 12:00 pm