EWU's Jones leaving early for NFL draft

CHENEY - Eastern Washington University All-America running back Taiwan Jones will leave a year early and has officially declared for the 2011 NFL draft, the junior from Antioch, Calif., has announced.

The deadline for draft-eligible collegiate underclassmen to declare for the April 28-30 draft was Saturday.

Jones is out of town, but intends to return next week for celebrations honoring Eastern for winning the NCAA Division I Championship on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas. The first celebration will take place Friday at 6 p.m. at Reese Court in Cheney, followed by a celebration the next day at noon at River Park Square in Spokane.

"It's hard leaving my guys who I call my family - my teammates - because that's what they are to me," Jones said. "It's kind of bittersweet. It's hard to depart, but at the same time I'm stepping into a job I love."

Jones is being represented by Seattle-based sports attorney Cameron Foster, president of Foster & Easley Sports Management Group. Foster has represented other EWU players including Michael Roos, a second-round draft choice by Tennessee in 2005, and Tom Ackerman, a fifth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in 1995.

Jones said he submitted information to the NFL Draft Advisory Committee by a Dec. 15 deadline in order to get a projection of where he might be drafted. The response he received was second or third round, and that helped in his decision to declare for the draft by the Jan. 15 deadline. But it wasn't the only response that mattered.

"Even with the positive response I received, my decision was still hard for me to make," Jones said. "My biggest concern was that I felt like I was letting my teammates down by leaving early. But they gave me a lot of support in making this decision and I appreciate that."

Although unable to play in EWU's last 2 1/2 games of the season because of a foot injury, Jones led the team to a 13-2 record and the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision title. He rushed for 1,742 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games in 2010, and averaged 7.9 yards per carry in his 24-game career as a running back.

"I felt like I made the best decision as far as being able to help my family and do something I've always dreamed of," said Jones. "I get to do something that I love."

"We want Taiwan to do what is best for him, his family and his situation," said Eastern coach Beau Baldwin. "We wish nothing but the very best for him. On behalf of our program and our coaching staff, we thank him immensely for what he's done for our program and university. Not only is he an amazing player, but he's a great person and teammate."

Jones, who ranked second in FCS in both rushing yards (145.2 per game) and all-purpose yards (201.8), suffered a fracture to the base of his fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot in EWU's 38-31 overtime victory over North Dakota State Dec. 11 in the quarterfinals. He finished with a career-high 230 yards rushing in that game, including 203 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but wasn't able to play again.

Depending on the progress of his injury, Jones hopes to participate in the NFL Combine in late February, as well as his "pro day" in March.

Jones is believed to be the first Eastern player to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft before exhausting his Eastern eligibility. In 2007, current Detroit Piston Rodney Stuckey left Eastern following his junior season on the EWU basketball team and was a first-round draft choice and the 15th pick overall.

Eastern's highest NFL draft choice ever is Roos, who was picked 41st overall in 2005. He and his wife Katherine donated $500,000 toward the red Sprinturf surface on which Jones and the Eagles went 8-0 during the 2010 season.