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Jones has respect for Purify
LINCOLN -- When Andre Jones and Maurice Purify met on a recruiting visit to Nebraska, they were initially a little wary of each other. Their encounter went something like this.
Purify: "Hey, what's up? My name is Maurice Purify."
Jones: "Yeah, I know who you are."
Purify: "I know who you are, too."
Jones: "I hate you."
Purify: "I hate you, too."
That's how Jones describes it, anyway.
Jones is a cornerback, of course, and Purify is a wide receiver. And to understand the apparent acrimony with which they greeted each other requires some background, obviously.
Turns out, the two were matched against each other three times during their junior college careers, Jones at Fresno City College and Purify at San Francisco City College. And in the process, they became "enemies," said Jones, though the hatred was more competitive than personal.
When they both settled on Nebraska, however, the competitive hatred turned to respect. Since then, Jones has told Purify it's a "privilege" to be playing on the same team.
"I mean, 'Mo P,' man, he's a great athlete," Jones said. "He's gotten better and better since our freshman year at juco. He's progressed even more, and he gives me a great look every week, from what I'm going to see during the game. 'Mo P' is a great receiver."
The two still line up against each other in practice, and go at it with the same intensity. "Me and Maurice, we're always talking noise on the field. But that's just that competitive attitude, man. I get beat on a route. I might break up a route from him. It's just competing out there," said Jones.
"That's how we continue to get better and better."
Both have improved this season, playing significant roles with little time for transition. Jones had a Blackshirt by the first game, while Purify was brought along more slowly, based on a belief that Frantz Hardy, also a junior college transfer, was pushed onto the field too quickly last season.
Even though Purify has started only twice, and saw limited action early on, he is second on the team to Terrence Nunn in receptions with 27 and leads the team in both receiving yards (533) and touchdown catches (seven), none more meaningful than the most recent against Texas A&M.
The circumstances have been well documented. The reception came with 21 seconds remaining for a tie at 27, which was then broken by Jordan Congdon's extra-point kick for the victory.
That play showed Purify's unique ability and provided Jones a reference with which to give a handful of reporters a mini-clinic on cornerback play following Wednesday's practice.
A&M cornerback Jordan Peterson, who was covering Purify in the end zone on that first-and-goal from the 9-yard line, played "a hell of a game," Jones said. "My hat goes off to him."
But Peterson could do little to prevent the catch, short of tackling Purify. The fade is "a hard pass to stop," said Jones. "Zac (Taylor) puts it up there. It's like a jump ball, alley oop."
And the 6-foot-4 Purify is going to win the jump against the 5-10 Peterson.
"You can have a 45-inch vertical, but if you're not somewhere the same height as him . . . because he's got long arms, even if you do have a high vertical, you still have to get up to his level. So it takes a minute for you to get up there, and his hands are already there," said Jones.
In addition, Purify played basketball in junior college and understands positioning, forcing a smaller defender to "almost like 'body' him to kind of get the ball out," Jones said. "You're not going to jump up there one-on-one, just go over him and take the ball unless he's smaller than you."
And nearly every defensive back is going to be smaller.
Purify probably needed to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, according to Jones, because once he reached the end zone and positioned himself, Peterson could do little to stop him.
"I would have taken the penalty," said Jones. "I would have just tackled him. I would have taken the flag, and maybe the defense would have had another shot at it."
No way would he have allowed Purify to jump for the ball unimpeded.
"He's a great player," Jones said. "I've been saying that since juco."
Jones didn't acknowledge that, however, until the two became Cornhusker teammates.
Jones has respect for Purify
LINCOLN -- When Andre Jones and Maurice Purify met on a recruiting visit to Nebraska, they were initially a little wary of each other. Their encounter went something like this.
Purify: "Hey, what's up? My name is Maurice Purify."
Jones: "Yeah, I know who you are."
Purify: "I know who you are, too."
Jones: "I hate you."
Purify: "I hate you, too."
That's how Jones describes it, anyway.
Jones is a cornerback, of course, and Purify is a wide receiver. And to understand the apparent acrimony with which they greeted each other requires some background, obviously.
Turns out, the two were matched against each other three times during their junior college careers, Jones at Fresno City College and Purify at San Francisco City College. And in the process, they became "enemies," said Jones, though the hatred was more competitive than personal.
When they both settled on Nebraska, however, the competitive hatred turned to respect. Since then, Jones has told Purify it's a "privilege" to be playing on the same team.
"I mean, 'Mo P,' man, he's a great athlete," Jones said. "He's gotten better and better since our freshman year at juco. He's progressed even more, and he gives me a great look every week, from what I'm going to see during the game. 'Mo P' is a great receiver."
The two still line up against each other in practice, and go at it with the same intensity. "Me and Maurice, we're always talking noise on the field. But that's just that competitive attitude, man. I get beat on a route. I might break up a route from him. It's just competing out there," said Jones.
"That's how we continue to get better and better."
Both have improved this season, playing significant roles with little time for transition. Jones had a Blackshirt by the first game, while Purify was brought along more slowly, based on a belief that Frantz Hardy, also a junior college transfer, was pushed onto the field too quickly last season.
Even though Purify has started only twice, and saw limited action early on, he is second on the team to Terrence Nunn in receptions with 27 and leads the team in both receiving yards (533) and touchdown catches (seven), none more meaningful than the most recent against Texas A&M.
The circumstances have been well documented. The reception came with 21 seconds remaining for a tie at 27, which was then broken by Jordan Congdon's extra-point kick for the victory.
That play showed Purify's unique ability and provided Jones a reference with which to give a handful of reporters a mini-clinic on cornerback play following Wednesday's practice.
A&M cornerback Jordan Peterson, who was covering Purify in the end zone on that first-and-goal from the 9-yard line, played "a hell of a game," Jones said. "My hat goes off to him."
But Peterson could do little to prevent the catch, short of tackling Purify. The fade is "a hard pass to stop," said Jones. "Zac (Taylor) puts it up there. It's like a jump ball, alley oop."
And the 6-foot-4 Purify is going to win the jump against the 5-10 Peterson.
"You can have a 45-inch vertical, but if you're not somewhere the same height as him . . . because he's got long arms, even if you do have a high vertical, you still have to get up to his level. So it takes a minute for you to get up there, and his hands are already there," said Jones.
In addition, Purify played basketball in junior college and understands positioning, forcing a smaller defender to "almost like 'body' him to kind of get the ball out," Jones said. "You're not going to jump up there one-on-one, just go over him and take the ball unless he's smaller than you."
And nearly every defensive back is going to be smaller.
Purify probably needed to be stopped at the line of scrimmage, according to Jones, because once he reached the end zone and positioned himself, Peterson could do little to stop him.
"I would have taken the penalty," said Jones. "I would have just tackled him. I would have taken the flag, and maybe the defense would have had another shot at it."
No way would he have allowed Purify to jump for the ball unimpeded.
"He's a great player," Jones said. "I've been saying that since juco."
Jones didn't acknowledge that, however, until the two became Cornhusker teammates.
I'd like to see Grixby and Jones double team him. I'd bet he would still come up with the ball. It's hard to cover a WR when he can jump as high as Purify can.
