When Scott Jones started playing soccer at the age of 5, no one imagined that one day he would walk onto the field Friday at Lockhart Stadium as one of 62 participants selected to take part in the adidas MLS Player Combine, a showcase of the nation's top talent.
Not even Jones himself thought that he would make it this far after a knee injury sidelined him during his first season at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. With the fear of losing a year of eligibility after his injury, Jones was relieved to find that the NCAA had granted him a medical redshirt, allowing him to regain his freshman season.
Jones took this good news as a second chance at playing the game he loved. He took the advice from his teammates and coaches to heart and decided that he was going to make the most of his time with the Spartans, and under the direction of head coach Michael Parker, Jones excelled at every aspect of the game.
"In my opinion, we have one of the best coaches in the country at UNC-Greensboro," said Jones. "He has not only helped me to achieve all of my goals at the collegiate level, but has prepared me for what is to come on the professional level."
According to Jones, Parker has done nothing but prepare him and his teammates for the future and train them to handle all types of scenarios on the field. Jones credits his performance on the field to the commitment that Parker showed him while at UNC-Greensboro.
Jones is one of two UNCG products at this weekend's combine, along with forward Randi Patterson, who ended his career at the school with 61 goals, fifth on the school's all-time goal scoring list. The two are both considered potential first-round picks.
During his first season back from injury, Jones was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and to the SoCon All-Tournament Team. He was also a first team all-conference selection after leading the Spartans with 11 assists and finishing second on the team in scoring with 23 points.
"I had an amazing four years at UNC-Greensboro," said Jones. "The atmosphere there is amazing and the facilities are incredible to train in and play at. It was a great environment for me because the team really helped to get me through those injury and recovery months."
The Dallas, Texas native, capped off his four-year collegiate career as a two-time All-America selection and a four-time first team All-Southern Conference selection (a UNCG record). Jones also found himself in the stats record books finishing fifth all-time with 41 assists.
Jones is also no stranger to high pressure situations, as he provided two game-winning goals in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament that eliminated both Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
"My senior season at Greensboro was definitely the most amazing season of my career because I was able to be a factor in our team's overall performance," Jones said. "I was able to notch a couple of game winners and was just able to be a good teammate."
Now the time has come to prove himself at the professional level and Jones is ready to show the MLS coaches what he is made of mentally and physically. With no trace of ever being injured, Jones feels that the adidas Combine is the perfect place to break into the MLS spotlight.
"This combine is definitely one of the best experiences because you are playing with and against some of the best players in the country," Jones said. "You don't get this opportunity too often to come out and showcase yourself to these major league coaches. And when you put yourself against the best, you can become the best."
Nicole Dupes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
