Former Woodruff Great Enjoying Special Moments with Texas Tech Football
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
Derek Jones has seen his share of ups and downs during a nearly two-decade college football coaching career.
In a profession where the only sure thing is uncertainty, Jones has learned to appreciate the special moments that the game affords, so it should be no surprise that the former great Woodruff running back is not taking the 2021 season for granted.
Jones, secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator for Texas Tech University, has helped guide the Red Raiders through a season of doubts and turmoil, which further reinforces Jones’ belief in appreciating the good times.
It was eight games into the season, with Texas Tech sitting at 5-3, when third year head coach Matt Wells was relieved of his duties following a crushing 25-24 loss to conference foe Kansas State.
Left reeling, riddled with injuries, and down to their third-string quarterback, the Red Raiders’ players needed a guiding hand to help right the ship. Jones was there to see them through a tough transition.
“One of the biggest things about coaching is doing your part to help players reach their full potential,” said Jones. “We have a great group of seniors who chose to return this year to reach a bowl game, which only very few of them have achieved in their careers.”
Reaching a bowl game is always a goal for every college program at the start of each season, but standing in the way of Texas Tech was an Iowa State team which the Red Raiders had not beaten since 2015. The 2021 game was in peril, too, until a fateful moment in the final seconds with the game tied 38-38 in Lubbock.
Senior kicker Jonathan Garibay put his foot into a kick from his own 48-yard line, a 62-yard field goal attempt, with just three seconds on the clock. The ball traveled straight, far, and through the uprights to upend the Cyclones, 41-38.
The win touched off a frenzy in Lubbock and officially made Texas Tech bowl eligible. Jones said it was one of the greatest moments in his coaching career.
“I was having dinner with my wife. We were discussing the best moments of my career as a football coaching couple, and that was definitely in my top 5,” said Jones about the dramatic win over Iowa State. “To get in that position with a freshman quarterback and to feel comfortable enough to attempt that kick, much less make it, was incredible.”
Garibay’s kick, according to Jones, was the longest game-winning field goal in college football history. It is those moments that make the life of a coach worth the long, hot days and restless, sleepless nights.
With a bowl game now a certainty, and with the regular season coming to a close, Jones says his goal now is to help the Red Raiders’ players keep that same focus and determination they used to siphon the wind out of the Cyclones.
The mantra is to take one week at a time, however many weeks Texas Tech has left in their season, and to enjoy each step of the journey as if it’s their last.
The Red Raiders will not know their bowl destination or opponent until early December, but Jones and his fellow coaches will be ready when that day comes.
“We will never make excuses,” he said. “It’s always going to be the next man up. We have been a resilient team all year long, and I’m thrilled to be a part of this journey. I want to look back on this season and be able to say we defied all the odds.”
Author: Tracy Sanders
