Cam Jones Shines During Senior Bowl Game as NFL Draft Preparation Continues

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

Former Indiana linebacker Cam Jones had a big day in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Mobile, Alabama. Jones totaled seven tackles (five solo), a tackle for loss and a pass break up as his National Team won the game 27-10 over the American team.

The Senior Bowl is the premier college football all-star game and gives players a chance to work with NFL coaches for a week as they prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft. Jones was the first Hoosier since long snapper Dan Godsil (2019) to play in the game.

“The Senior Bowl was an amazing opportunity and experience. That was my first time being on the field since my season ending injury, Week 5 of the 2022 season.” Jones told Hoosier Huddle. “It felt good flying around on the field again. Day in and day out was a grind. I embraced every moment because I knew so many other athletes would have loved to be there.”

Jones missed the final seven games of IU’s season with a foot injury. He finished with 54 tackles with three tackles for loss and a sack in five games in 2023.

One of the biggest advantages of playing in the Senior Bowl is the time that players get to spend in front of NFL coaches and executives. It is basically a week long job interview and Jones took full advantage of it.

“I was in the room with the best coaches in the game of football. I was able to learn how to better my performance and grow my overall knowledge of the game. Throughout the week, they emphasized this is a business. College was my résumé and Senior Bowl week is my first job interview.” Jones explained. “Every second of the day we were being evaluated. The attention to detail, the intensity, and the urgency was on a whole different level. Really appreciate working with DC for the Raiders, Patrick Graham (Head Coach National Team), Secondary coach for the Steelers, Grady Brown (DC National Team), and LB coach for the Texans, Ben Bolling (LB National Team).”

While Jones’ stats were good, he was not satisfied with his performance.

“Although some say my performance was good, I know that I left a lot of opportunities out on the field. (IU defensive coordinator Chad) Wilt challenged our linebackers when he first came to Indiana with an equation. Event + R = Outcome. The R in the equation stands for Response. No matter the situation, if you respond the correct way things will always play out in your favor. With that being said, I’m excited knowing that if respond while trusting the process, the sky is the limit.” Jones said.

Jones had the opportunity to meet with all 32 NFL teams and go up against some of the best seniors in college football. It is an experience he will learn from and remember as he gets ready for the NFL Combine in March..

As for Jones, his next step is “being able to perform well at the combine while finding ways to separate myself from other athletes. I know that whatever team chooses me to be apart of their organization, i have to show up ready to go with no excuses.”

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held in Kansas City between April 27th and 29th.