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Show Jones rooted' for Broncos, but wouldn't watch former teammates plav in bowl qame and later was a star for the Utah State Aggies. He was always a "big kid" and destined to be a football player. As a pro, he was listed at 6-foot 6-foot 6 and 260 pounds. For the Broncos he was tabbed an "Orange Crusher. ' ' Jones was labeled a "mean man" on the field, but a quiet, happy-go-lucky guy off the field. A booster club once gave him a telephone booth because, they said, "Jones resembles Superman everyone's friend off the field, but a fierce competitor on the gridiron. ' ' Even more important to Jones is j his religion. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Latter-day Saints, Jones is in demand as a church speaker and is often asked to address church -affiliated functions. An all-Pro Defensive End, Jones led the NFL in sacks and was highly regarded by his opponents. When the Broncos defense set a franchise record of 13.5 sacks in one year, Jones was atop the statistical chart Bronco owner Pat Bowlen called Jones "one of the great players in Bronco history." This is quite a tribute to a hometown boy. ft Xfcit " I " i V 'l , ! y By GARY BLODGETT Sports Editor Former Denver Bronco tight end Rulon Jones missed playing in Sunday's Sun-day's Super Bowl XXTV in New Orleans but not enough to watch it on television. "I've tried to separate my retirement and home life from professional pro-fessional football - that's why I retired when I did," said Jones Monday. He is busily preparing a new business opening in Ogden Thursday and was not as interested as millions of Americans in watching wat-ching the Super Bowl. "Of course, I was pulling for my former teammates. We were, and still are, the best of friends. But I haven't seen a bowl game in more than a decade, not since I became a professional player," said Jones from his Ogden business, a physical fitness shop on 12th Street just west of Washington Blvd. As a 10-year professional football foot-ball player with the Broncos, Jones played in two back-to-back Super Bowls the last being a disheartening dishearten-ing shellacking, 42-10, from the Washington Redskins in San Diego. Jones emphasized that it's not disinterest in football that has caused caus-ed him to miss watching bowl games on TV. "It's a simple matter of getting pro football out of my mind and establishing a new direction direc-tion for myself and my family. ' ' He maintains that pro football was a good career "for as long as it lasted." Injuries and fatigue from the every-week poundings forced him into retirement after a decade of the rough and tough sport. Jones is back home ' ' in Liberty, a farming community across the mountains east of Ogden. But the first years of his life were spent in Bountiful. He spent his childhood in the south Bountiful area, living with his grandparents, Preston and Florence Folkman. He attended kindergarten in Elsie Beard's class and took dance lessons with his cousins at Norma Anderson's Dance School. After returning to Ogden Valley, Jones attended Weber High School t t 4 r ' r r r Rulon Jones, former Bronco defensive end " Former Denver Bronco defensive end Rulon Jones as he appeared in National Football League J action prior to his retirement. Jones was rooting for his teammates in last Sunday's Superbowl XXIV, but did not watch the game on television. He"s spending all his time with family and new t physical fitness gymnasium, a new business he has started in Ogden. Jones lived in Bountiful until he was 6 years old. |