RYAN PIERSOL
The Edmond Sun
In a corner of the campus at the University of Central Oklahoma, locked in a padded room day after day, there’s a guy named Earl Jones who is determined to become the best wrestler he can be.
Walk in, look around, and you’ll see him. He’s impossible not to notice.
Not because of anything Jones is saying. No, it’s more because of a look in his eye.
His head coach sees it every time the 133-pounder wrestles.
“His presence is just awesome when you watch him compete,” David James said. “He’s got this look in his eye, I call it being a gamer. When it’s time to get it on, he’s all there.”
Oh yeah, there’s another reason why Jones is so noticeable ” he’s missing half of his right leg.
When he was seven years old, the Kansas native was bitten by a horse so severely he lost the bottom part of his leg from the knee down. He has a prosthetic that he uses in every-day life, but it does him no good during a match, so he wrestles without it.
Day after day, match after match, he attacks one of the most physical sports imaginable in this fashion.
“He’s a neat kid. He’s just a good, tough ole’ kid,” James said. “He’s not looking for any special treatment or anything like that. The reason he is successful is he does the right things. He’s here at practice and enjoys doing what he’s doing.”
Make no mistake about it, Jones hasn’t let anything get in the way of success on the mat. At Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Kan., he won three straight state championships and three different weight classes. From there, he won back-to-back national titles at Labette (Kan.) Community College, going 56-6 and being named Outstanding Wrestler his sophomore season.
Early in his wrestling career, opponents may have taken a look at Jones and not expected much. But no one makes that mistake any more ” everyone has heard of him and his track record.
“I’m sure they probably underestimated me at first. It was a little difficult when I first started out,” Jones said. “There are advantages to my situation and obviously disadvantages to it.”
It hasn’t taken folks at UCO long to recognize just how good Jones is. He currently is battling returning All-American Jared Henning for the starting spot at 133. Henning was 29-18 last season and placed seventh at nationals. He was expected to be one of the Bronchos top returners this season.
Going into a dual with the University of Oklahoma tonight at 7 p.m. at Hamilton Fieldhouse, the coaching staff still isn’t exactly sure what to do.
“It’s a problem, but it’s a good problem to have. It’s interesting at that weight class,” James said. “The perspective we’re taking as a team is that we’re going to have a good product there, regardless.”
When Jones transferred in the offseason from Labette, he was well aware the Bronchos had a returning All-American in his weight class. Still, Jones said he didn’t mind having to face a challenge ” it’s just his nature.
“I knew it would be tough. Of course Henning is a tough guy. But I thought I could hang right there with him,” he said. “This is a good place to be. There’s tough competition. I’ve seen a lot of Division I guys so far. It’s a step up, for sure.”
The thing about Jones is, he could fail to beat out Henning at 133, and still have a huge impact on the team. It’s not just because of his special circumstances, either. It’s the way he works and the way he quietly goes about his business each day.
“He’s a great example in a quiet way of doing what you’re supposed to do. His leadership is an example of that,” James said. “With his situation and circumstances, it certainly teaches you lessons about perspective and being driven.
“He’s inspiring to the team, his teammates and certainly the coaches, as well.”
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