Despite having more than 1,500 yards of scrimmage in his senior campaign, Park Hill South running back Darrien Jones wasn’t getting as many offers as he expected but he stayed the course and eventually received an offer from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where he officially signed to on National Signing Day on Feb. 1.
Park Hill South senior running back Darrien Jones signs his letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at UNLV on National Signing Day on Feb. 1.
Jones has been a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron for the Panthers the last two seasons, being a huge factor on an offense that went to two consecutive district championship games. In his senior year, he had 1,261 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground along with 273 yards and three scores through the air – which combined for a total of 1,534 yards and 13 trips into the end zone – but Jones still wasn’t sure where he would be playing football until recently.
“It was just a whole lot of interests with coaches messaging me on social media, but not saying anything about an offer,” Park Hill South senior Darrien Jones said. “Before the first signing day I had an offer from Southern Illinois, and I didn’t want to settle. I went up there to the campus and didn’t enjoy it, so I chose to bet on myself and for awhile, it was looking kind of grim.”
Jones had some other schools give him a chance, but he decided not to rush the decision and take his time until the right opportunity came along. After a long consideration and multiple visits, the running back decided to go with UNLV.
“I had great opportunities at Washburn and North Dakota State, but then UNLV came along. I loved (running back) Coach (Cornell) Ford, getting to meet with him in my house, going out to the campus, meeting all the coaches there and once I stepped foot on campus, I knew I wanted to be a Rebel,” Jones said.
Darrien Jones runs through a pair of Liberty North defenders in his final game as a Panther, the Class 6 District 4 Championship.
While he had some contact with some Division-II colleges, Jones knew his worth and that he deserved to play football at a Division-I school. With the help of his dad, Jones was able to make the tough decision to be patient.
“He’s always in my ear that you worked this hard and you didn’t work this hard for no reason, so stay the course and believe. He was always 100% supportive on whatever decision I made, and I knew that I belonged on a FBS level, and I got my chance,” Jones said.
UNLV is coming off its best season since 2017 in the competitive Mountain West Conference. Jones will look to add to the Rebels’ team that is on the rise as he feels like it’s a new home.
“They didn’t talk to me like I was a player, they talked to me like I was one of their friends. They built a great relationship with me in the short amount of time they had; I was only up there for a weekend, but it was talking to me, making me feel at home and the campus was really welcoming and warming with huge campus palm trees and all the new experiences, so they just made it feel like a second home to me,” Jones said.
Jones was only at Park Hill South for two years – spending his freshman and sophomore seasons at Park Hill – but made a huge impact for the Panthers. After his family moved in the summer of 2021, Jones was welcomed him in open arms by Park Hill South.
Darrien Jones ended this past season with 1,534 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns.
“It was great to have a fresh start. I feel like I wasn’t really welcomed at Park Hill so when I got to (Park Hill) South, the love and all that was great. Everybody was friendly off rip (from the start), I didn’t have to force any connections or friendships, it was immediate love from the football team, the staff and all that,” Jones said.
This past year, Jones was a first-team all-district running back and First Team Honorable Mention in the Kansas City Suburban Conference Silver Division. He was also an honorable mention in his junior year and has a promising future on and off the football field.
“I’m heavy in marketing – specifically social media marketing – and consumer sciences, that kind of thing. I’m looking to build up and be a social media person on a sports’ team. That’s kind of what I’m into,” Jones said.