Pittsburgh Steelers rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones has said a few times since being drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft that the defense run by Dick LeBeau is much more complex than the one he played in while at Georgia. Jones did, however, say in a recent interview with his alma mater that his experience in a similar system helped him hit the ground running with the Steelers.
“Georgia\’s 3-4 system under Coach (Todd) Grantham was very helpful for me and my pro career at Pittsburgh,” said Jones. “There may be more to do here, and it may be more complex, but what I learned at Georgia has given me an advantage with the Steelers.”
Jones would go on to state in the interview that he would not be flipping sides like he did at Georgia, however.
“Just like it was at Georgia with Coach Grantham, our D-coordinator here, Dick LeBeau, is very knowledgeable about the 3-4 defense, and he knows how to teach it. He is a very good communicator, and the players appreciate him and his style,” said Jones. “It is fun to come to practice and learn something new from him every day. One thing different is that I will be playing right outside linebacker with the Steelers. At Georgia, I flopped, depending on what the offense was doing.”
Jones recorded 28 sacks while at Georgia in 34 games played, and that is exactly the kind of production the Steelers will need out of him once he takes over the starting spot on the right side. Jones will begin training camp behind starter Jason Worilds, so he will have time to grow in LeBeau\’s system that requires the outside linebackers to drop a lot more than what Jones was used to doing in college. The Steelers defense coordinator, however, has been impressed with what he has seen so far out of his new toy.
“Jarvis,” says LeBeau, “came in here with a no-nonsense, \’I\’m ready to work\’ attitude. All along I felt that he would be a good fit for us, and that we are a good fit for him. I am confident that he will have a fine NFL career. He makes plays, and he has the kind of attitude to succeed and improve.”
