Like father, like son.
With the same Concord (Calif.) De La Salle program Maurice Jones-Drew never lost a regular-season varsity game in the early 2000s, class of 2027 running back Duece Jones-Drew made his presence known in his debut appearance with the squad Friday.
The younger Jones-Drew broke off a 64-yard touchdown against Sacramento (Calif.) Grant Union, the first carry of his varsity career, while his dad, an eight-year former Jacksonville Jaguars running back, watched from the sidelines as De La Salle’s quarterbacks coach.
It was one of his nine attempts on the night, going for 100 yards and a two-point conversion to pair with his six-point score, per Sports Illustrated.
2027 RB Duece Jones-Drew, the son of Maurice Jones-Drew, with the 64 yard TD for De La Salle (CA) 👀🔥
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— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) August 31, 2024
“It was a pretty emotional thing, him living his dream on your high school field,” the older Jones-Drew said after the game. “I’ll probably cry tonight.”
The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Duece Jones-Drew has yet to receive a scholarship offer as a sophomore in high school, but big gains like his rush Friday night and the recognition that comes with his name could change that reality sooner rather than later.
Maurice Jones-Drew, a former All-American at UCLA, beat the odds as a similarly undersized running back prospect.
After scoring 39 total touchdowns, surpassing 3,300 yards from scrimmage and averaging over 23 yards per punt and kick return with the Bruins, Jones-Drew became Jacksonville’s second-round NFL draft pick in 2006 and went on to produce one of the most electric tenures in Jaguars history.
A two-time First-Team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler with the club, Jones-Drew rushed 1,804 times for 8,071 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and 68 touchdowns in eight seasons with Jacksonville.
He also caught 346 passes for 2,944 yards and 11 touchdowns, and scored twice over 79 kickoff returns, in which he averaged 26 yards per attempt.