Former Irish QB Gets Defensive in Cincy

FanHouse writer John Walters is living in South Bend, Ind., during one of the most pivotal seasons in Notre Dame history. Check back daily for his latest dispatches on the Irish.

SOUTH BEND, Ind -- During his 13 or so months as a Notre Dame quarterback, Demetrius Jones was known as "Double D."

That moniker came courtesy of his grandmother, an acronym for "Double Disaster." Two years and two schools since departing South Bend, Jones, who in high school was rated the nation's No. 2 dual-threat QB behind only Tim Tebow, has finally found a home: Double D is playing D.

Entering Thursday's contest at South Florida, Jones, now an outside linebacker for No. 8 Cincinnati (5-0), was fourth on the team in tackles with six per game. In fact, while it may be comparing apples to Orange Bowls, the 6-4, 220-pound junior has more tackles than any linebacker at Notre Dame (30, as compared to Brian Smith's 26, both after five games).

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(Note to reader: Here is where I would ordinarily insert a quote from Jones. However, three weeks of frustrating phone calls between the Bearcat athletic department and myself yielded no fruit. The beleaguered sports information person begged forgiveness, saying, "I can't even get Tony Pike to return my texts." Someone in Cincy's athletic department needs to have a serious sit-down with its communications peeps.)

The odyssey of Demetrius Jones is no different than that undertaken by tens of thousands of undergrads each season. He switched positions; they switch majors.

(Here is where I'd have inserted a quote from Jones expounding on the metaphor.)

You remember Jones. Three summers ago he was the unlucky holder of the winning lottery ticket in the "Who will succeed Brady Quinn?" sweepstakes in South Bend. His prize was to start the season-opener against a blitz-happy, veteran Georgia Tech defense (under the guidance, bizarrely enough, of Jon Tenuta).

At his disposal would be an offensive line with one returning starter (a sophomore, Sam Young), and first-time starters at wide receiver and tailback. Only tight end John Carlson was both a senior and a returning starter.

On that sunny September afternoon, Jones fumbled twice and was lifted before halftime in the 33-3 loss, the worst season-opening defeat in Notre Dame history. He attempted three passes, completing one for four yards. It stands as the only completion in Jones' college career.

Thirteen days later Jones, after not playing a down in a loss at Penn State, went AWOL, departing campus on the eve of Notre Dame's game at Michigan. He did return at least once to watch the Irish play from the student section, but by the first of October of 2007 he had transferred to Northern Illinois and then on to Cincinnati.

(Perhaps a quote about possible regrets concerning his experience in South Bend).

Two years later, it appears that Double D has at last found his niche. Last March, it was abundantly clear to Bearcat head coach Brian Kelly that Pike was his starter. It was also evident that with the defense losing 10 starters and with Jones' undeniable athleticism, he was more valuable to the team switching to linebacker than riding the pine behind Pike.

"He struggled with it, even during the summer at times," Kelly told The Bleacher Report in August. "He'd go home and people would tell him, what are you doing? You're a quarterback. But I think he's pretty settled into the idea that that's his position."

Now here he is suiting up as a key component of the nation's No. 10 scoring defense in a nationally televised game featuring two ranked teams. Were he still in South Bend this weekend, he'd still be a part of such a game, but who knows what role he would play? Would he have accepted a move to outside linebacker on a team that is desperately thin at that spot? Would he be the Leprecat quarterback? Who knows?

(Ideal spot for a quote from Double D on destiny, fate and that Robert Frost poem about those two roads diverged in a yellow wood...)

College football is nothing if not long on dramatic irony. Consider that Jones' roommate is also a transfer, former USC wide receiver Vidal Hazelton, who led the Trojans in receptions in 2007. Or that on November 7, Jones will line up across the line of scrimmage from Connecticut quarterback Zach Frazer, who finished in fourth place in that '07 QB sweepstakes (behind Jones, Jimmy Clausen and Evan Sharpley) and promptly transferred to Storrs.

And that, in retrospect, it's difficult to fault Irish head coach for opting to go with Clausen, the true freshman. He does, after all, lead the nation in passing efficiency.

Finally, there is this. All any player really wants, besides a victory, is a chance to play. Heading into this weekend Notre Dame leads the nation in time of possession while Cincinnati is dead last in that category. Meaning that no two units see more time on the field than the Irish offense, featuring Clausen, and the Bearcat defense, featuring Jones.

(And here we'd use a quote from Double D about how things have a funny way of turning out.)