Sophomore wide receiver Julio Jones was considered the nation's top wide receiver when he was a senior in high school. While others, including Georgia's A.J. Green and Notre Dame's Michael Floyd, have put up bigger numbers this season, Jones is happy with his choice of schools because Alabama will be playing for the national championship.Jones has just 573 yards on 42 catches on the season and managed only one touchdown through the Tide's first eight games. Part of the low numbers was due to an injured knee from early in the season and part of it was from trying to get familiar with first-year starter Greg McElroy and the constant double-teaming of defenses.
As he has gotten healthier and more in tune with McElroy, those numbers got better in the second half of the season. Unlike flamboyant NFL wide receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, though, you won't hear Jones asking McElroy to throw him the ball.
"I've accepted my role. Teams are going to double team me," Jones said. "Every receiver wants the ball. I just want to have fun. When we win, I have fun. I'll do whatever the team asks me to do. "
One of the things he is asked to do is block for Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and the Tide running game. It is something 6-foot-4, 210-pounder relishes and does quite well.
When asked to compare his game to one of the pro receivers, it wasn't Owens or Ochocinco that came to mind. It was Hines Ward because of his blocking ability.
"He is a really physical wide receiver."
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