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DISCOVER BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: ALABAMA v NOTRE DAMEJanuary 5, 2013Barrett JonesMIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA Q. The Alabama community, what do you think this football team means to them? BARRETT JONES: I think this football team is a big part of the Alabama community and a big part of Tuscaloosa and a big part of the state. We don't have any pro teams, so certainly that puts a bigger emphasis on college teams, so certainly we're a big part of the community. Q. What does the fan support mean to the players? BARRETT JONES: It means a lot. You know, our fans, we feel like we have the best fans in the country, and wherever we've gone, bowl games, regular season games, they always travel well, they support us. They do anything they can to help us. Q. For a guy living in Billings, Montana, what's worse, seven SEC Championships in a row or Notre Dame back in the championship game? BARRETT JONES: What's worse? Oh, I don't know. So you're saying which one is worse for the guy living‑‑ Q. Yeah, for a non‑SEC fan or non‑Notre Dame fan? BARRETT JONES: Well, I'd say, if I had to guess, I'd say that people are probably‑‑ outside of the South they're probably more tired of the SEC. Seven straight, let's be honest, people are probably getting tired of us. That's all right, we don't really mind. We enjoy being the top dog and enjoy kind of having that target on our back, and we love our conference. Obviously we'd rather not be a part of any other conference. Q. What's it like to have your brother Harrison on the team? BARRETT JONES: It's pretty cool. We live together and we spend a lot of time together, so it's a neat relationship to have Harrison with me. He's like my best friend. We hang out all the time, and it's pretty cool. Q. What have you seen from Louis Nix on tape? BARRETT JONES: Yeah, he's a really good player. He's very talented. He's got great hands, very strong, just a really good overall player, very fundamentally sound. Q. Seems like both of those nose guard‑center battles in this game are going to be very big. Can you talk about that a little bit. BARRETT JONES: I think this game is going to be won in the trenches. I think a lot of times it's important in the middle of the trenches what happens, and so certainly in 3‑4 defenses the nose guard is very magnified, and it's probably the cornerstone in many ways of 3‑4 defenses to kind of have a nose guard who can really anchor down and stop the run, and I feel like both teams have that. Q. (Inaudible.) BARRETT JONES: Well, I've got some experience with that. I think you've just got to be more technically perfect, and I can't believe I have to listen to AJ the whole time on that speaker. They would give the quarterback speakers. Q. How much of these schools' history do you know and are you aware of it? BARRETT JONES: I'm pretty aware of our history. I've become more aware of theirs over the past few months. A lot of people have told me, and I've read some articles about it. I think obviously I know that they are a very storied program, and we both are. I think that's part of what makes this match‑up fun is that for some of the more experienced‑‑ I'm not going to say older, but fans, that they certainly have some fond and some not‑so‑fond memories of these kind of games. Q. AJ said you and he clash a lot, and he said he always wins because it's his huddle. BARRETT JONES: Well, we do‑‑ clashing is kind of maybe not the word. We have a lot of discussions about what the best call is, about what the best thing to do is, but I did tell him before the season that whatever he says on the field goes because he is the quarterback and he has the final say, and I'll certainly still give my input, but if he chooses to not do it, which let's be honest, he usually takes it, but if he doesn't, then that's fine and we go with it, because we can't sit out there on the field arguing about what we're doing. Q. What percentage would you describe your health today? BARRETT JONES: I feel really good. I'd say I'm about at 95 percent, and I'm going to be 100 percent by the game. Q. How much have you been able to do as the week has progressed? BARRETT JONES: I've been able to get to where I'm just about doing a full practice. I feel very confident. Q. An award that doesn't really get much recognition, national attention, is the Campbell Award. How significant was that for you to win that? BARRETT JONES: It was certainly one of the biggest awards I'd ever won. I didn't realize how prestigious of an award it was until I got there, to New York, to the Waldorf, and met kind of the people involved with the National Football Foundation. It was a really neat deal, and to see the list of past winners, it was pretty cool, and also the other 14 candidates there were amazing and had amazing résumés and were just really great people. Q. What else are you involved with off the football field, outside of the team that you can speak about that maybe led to your recognition for that award? BARRETT JONES: Well, I'm involved in a lot of things. I don't know. I'm very involved in our ministry at Alabama, Campus Crusade. It's something I've been doing for a long time, and I'm involved in missions and I've taken a few mission trips. I don't know, that's a long answer. Q. Was there ever a point you thought you might not be playing in this game? BARRETT JONES: No. Never. Q. Studying Louis Nix, what have you learned about him, just the kind of player he is and the things he likes to do? BARRETT JONES: He's a great player. He's very talented. He has great hands, great feet, just overall a really good player, and seems to be very smart and plays within the scheme very well. I know it's going to be a big challenge, probably the biggest challenge I've faced all year. Q. What's been your favorite (inaudible)? BARRETT JONES: I'd say I don't know. I think I've had different favorite parts about each position. Tackle was kind of an island, and you just kind of had to learn how to appreciate that. But I really enjoy the mental part of center. I like how I can control the offense and kind of control what the line is doing and that portion of center. Q. What concerns you the most about your health? BARRETT JONES: I don't have any concerns. I think I've been conditioning really hard, and I've been working out a lot and watching a lot of film, and now I'll have had five practices under my belt, so I feel pretty good. Q. You're one of these guys that's been there, done that, got the tee shirt. When you look back at all of it, is there anything that really stands out that's a common thread? BARRETT JONES: Well, I think the thing I'll remember most is the people. It's just been a great experience here. I'm not trying to go quite into reflection mode yet. We've got one more big game. It is amazing to think about all that's happened. This will be my 50th start here at Alabama. It's been a great ride. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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