Penn State's Jones will miss entire 2011 season
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Penn State quarterback Paul Jones.
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CHICAGO -- Penn State quarterback Paul Jones has been sacked by academics.
Coach Joe Paterno said Friday that Jones will miss the 2011 season to concentrate on his grades.
Although Jones will sit out his second consecutive season -- he redshirted as a freshman last year -- Paterno hasn't given up on this former Sto-Rox High School star.
"I think he's still got a future," Paterno said Friday prior to the Big Ten Conference kickoff luncheon. "I still think he can be good."
Jones, who arrived at Penn State as a hot-shot prospect and an early enrollee in January 2010, could not be reached for comment.
If he remains with the Nittany Lions, Jones would have three years of eligibility remaining.
"I talked to him about [the situation] a little," said wide receiver Derek Moye, from Rochester High School. "I think he's obviously a little down about not being able to play and compete this year.
"But he realizes he made some mistakes and that he has to work hard to get to where he wants to be. He's trying to get himself back on track to play and compete to be the quarterback."
Jones, 6 feet 3 and 245 pounds, was expected to be the third-string quarterback this fall. Now that he's out of the mix, the No. 3 quarterback will be either junior Kevin Newsome or redshirt junior Shane McGregor, a former walk-on.
Sophomore Rob Bolden and redshirt junior Matt McGloin, another former walk-on, will compete for the starting job when preseason practice opens Thursday.
Jones was the first student at Sto-Rox to graduate early, doing so in December 2009. He enrolled at Penn State the following month and has been saddled with academic issues since his first semester.
"Paul's got a problem academically," Paterno said. "He's not had a good run. He needs to get caught up on some things. ... I think he could be eligible [this fall], but he would just barely be eligible. In all fairness to him, he's young, so we'll probably sit him down."
Jones' academic woes have to do with him not making progress toward his degree to remain eligible.
First Published July 30, 2011 12:00 am
