October 8, 2021 – Knoxville, TN –
The 2021 NCCAA DII Pete Maravich Award winner, Coby Jones, is a man with quite a basketball resume and a bright future. He lives a full and complete life as he holds a near perfect GPA at Johnson University and puts his faith first. Jones has had quite the collegiate career thus far. He began his collegiate career playing quarterback for the University of the Cumberlands Football Program. He then transferred over to Johnson to play basketball in the Spring of 2018. Jones says, “I just felt like God was calling me to make a change. I initially was transferring to Maryville College, but some financial things didn’t work out, so I chose to spend one semester at Johnson until I could work it out to go to Maryville. However, after one semester I fell in love with Johnson and the experience I had. I loved my team, I loved the school, and I loved basketball. Basketball has been a part of my story from the time I was a child and I hold the game very close to my heart.”
Jones has taken home plenty of awards and etched his name in Johnson basketball history forever. One of the awards Jones earned was the 2021 DII Pete Maravich Award. When asked how it felt to be named the winner of the award, Jones said, “It’s truly an honor to be granted this title. I feel like it is a reflection of all the people who have held leadership roles in my life. I can’t take all of the credit, because my family, coaches, teammates, professors, and more have all had a dramatic impact on my life. I thank everyone who has helped me grow along the way. I hope that my story inspires others to not only play with character, but to live with character in everything we do.”
Jones is an elite scorer, averaging 20.9 points per game last season. Coby continues to climb the all-time scoring ranks at Johnson and I asked him if the all-time scoring record is something he really wants. Jones gave an honest and competitive answer which you love to hear. Jones said, “I’d be lying if I said no. I love to set goals for myself and strive towards them. So I would love to reach that milestone. However, I have goals much larger than that. Goals of being an exemplary leader and captain to the men around me. Goals to help my teammates develop as players, students, and as people. I want to leave an impact far larger than some scoring record. I want to be remembered as the greatest teammate and leader, before being remembered as the one who scored the most points.”
As mentioned earlier, Jones has accomplished plenty of accolades and goals in his time at Johnson. When asked what his greatest basketball accomplishment was, Jones stated,” Winning the National Championship has to be it. Collectively it was a surreal moment, after all of the interruptions and distractions that COVID brought about, we were able to pull together and make something beautiful happen. Personally, It felt like it was a culmination of many years worth of work. After the buzzer sounded I thought back to all of the years before where my team had fallen short. To be so close every year of my athletic career, but not finish the job, was extremely difficult. I am thankful for every year, because those losses taught me more than any win. So when the buzzer went off, and we didn’t come up short, I was unbelievably grateful.
As we can see, Coby Jones is an elite athletic talent, but an even better young man. He’s a relentless competitor and leaves it all on the court. Both on and off the court, Jones is selfless and wants all of those around him to succeed. His faith, family, teammates and peers all come before himself. Coby is the ideal teammate and is an exceptional leader in any situation. When asked about what his future in basketball holds, Coby said, “From the time I was a child basketball has been a part of my life, and I hope to be around the sport for as long as I live. I have recently passed my exams to be a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and have been interning with the University of Tennessee and the Lady Vols basketball team. I have also explored options for playing basketball professionally overseas. Whether I am playing professional basketball after this year, or strength coaching, I know that God has given me a passion to serve through basketball in some capacity. We see the incredible potential in Coby Jones and we know he will succeed in whatever endeavors he decides to pursue after this season. For the time being though, Coby is focused on winning and bringing another title home for the Royals. Jones is sure to get looks from plenty of overseas teams looking for an elite scorer with incredible athleticism. Wherever Coby’s path takes him, he is destined to succeed and elevate those around him.
