East Mississippi Community College defensive tackle D.J. Jones continues to develop a strong relationship with Tennessee defensive line coach Steve Stripling. The veteran defensive line coach was by EMCC to check on Jones during a spring practice and Stripling has been developing that relationship for some time now."I know him from back when I was in high school. He started coming to my school once Butch Jones got the job when I was a senior," Jones explained. "As soon as coach Jones got there I got in contact with coach Strip."
"It's really good just to know that I've got someone staying with me," Jones explained. "Some of the other schools made their choices and left me in the dust and now they've come back, but Tennessee has always been with me."
"We've talked more on the phone the last few weeks, really. I'm in contact with the whole staff, pretty much," Jones explained. "They are high energy, that explains it all right there. They have a winning mentality. I just see them going in there and changing that program."
Jones is familiar with both instate schools from his home state of South Carolina and visited both while in high school. "I didn't live too far from Clemson so I was there for like every other game," Jones explained. "My sister attended South Carolina so I've been to a few games with her. "It's really unique with the hill. It's a really unique thing in college football, the stadium is crazy. "South Carolina is about the same, if not crazier. When they play Sandstorm it goes crazy."