Belton, Texas - University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football alum Javicz Jones has been invited to the Houston Texans rookie minicamp for a tryout next month. Jones becomes the third UMHB football alum to get a shot in the National Football League. He is scheduled to report to Texans minicamp on May 9th.
Jones was a four-year letterman at linebacker for the Cru and he was named D3football.com National Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. Jones was also an AFCA and D3football.com All-American and took D3football.com South Region Defensive Player of the Year honors as a junior and a senior. The Katy Morton Ranch product led the Cru with 131 tackles and also set a school record with eight interceptions this past season. He added 12.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, six pass break-ups and two blocked kicks while scoring four defensive touchdowns and a safety. Jones became the UMHB and American Southwest Conference record holder for career tackles this past season and finished his career as the leading active tackler in NCAA Division III. He was also a two-time ASC Defensive Player of the Year and three-time ASC All-Conference selection. He posted the three highest single-season tackle totals in Cru football history and also set a new ASC single-season tackle record during his career.
"This is just a blessing for me, I can't think of another way to put it," Jones said. "There's been a lot of hard work and preparation that's gone into making this happen and I am really excited to have the opportunity and will try to make the most of it. Being from the Houston area, I've watched this franchise and it is just a blessing to have this chance."
Jones will join UMHB alums Jerrell Freeman and Nate Menkin in NFL camps. Freeman earned a starting linebacker job with the Indianapolis Colts and Menkin is a reserve offensive lineman with the Philadelphia Eagles.