Get To Know Your Orange Man - #99 Chandler Jones

NEW FEATURE ALERT!

The 2009 SU Football season begins September 5th, which means we have 93 days to go.  If we're going to make this time count, I think it's best we use to get up to speed as much as possible on every single player on the roster.  And so, let's begin.

We'll start at the bottom and work our way up.  Sometimes you'll get one of these a day, sometimes more, sometimes none.  You are at my mercy.  Of course, there's a bunch of guys not currently on there and we'll add them in as they get added.  In the meantime, we'll go in numerical order from the highest number on down.  And in this case, that means we begin with #99.

Player: Chandler James Jones

Number: #99

Position: Defensive End

Year: Redshirt Freshman

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 250 lbs (up from 238, according to spring reports)

Hometown: Endicott, NY

High School: Union-Endicott High School

2008 Stats:  None, redshirt.

2009 Projections: Was listed as a 2nd string DE on the pre-spring depth chart but he did work with the 1st string from time to time.  Marrone has been signing his praises in the last couple weeks, so depending on how much Chandler can bulk up, expect to see him fight for serious playing time through the season.

How'd He Get Here: You can probably thank current Syracuse senior DT Arthur Jones, who is Chandler's brother.  Chandler followed his big brother to SU after a high school career in which he was honored as a memver of the 2007 Football NYSSWA All-State Class AA First Team Defense.  On defense, he recording 75 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries while as a tight end he averaged a team-best 17.4 yards per reception.

What did Scout/Rivals Say?: Both rated Chandler as a two-star recruit.  Scout.com listed him as the eighth-best prospect in New York in 2007.

Money Quote: When asked what position he would like to play at SU..."I will play whatever position gets me on the field the fastest."

Links Of Wonder: Chandler's interview with ESPN Big East Blogger Brian Bennett delves into how his big brother inspires him.

What Does Marrone Think?: "He's doing very well," Marrone said. "He's had a tremendous spring practice for us playing defensive end. He's a player who, if he does grow bigger naturally, we can move him inside. But he's a very productive player. We're looking for him to have a great year."

Interesting Nugget O'Interest: Excited about seeing Arthur Jones return for his senior season at Syracuse?  You can thank Chandler in part for that.

With his high school class graduated for three years, Arthur's 2007 breakout season prompted whispers of big checks and a shot in the NFL if he wanted it. Arthur said a lot of people were in his ear telling him he could have left after last season, in which he recorded 51 tackles, 17.5 for loss. However, he said having his brother coming to play with him made him more excited to be at Syracuse.

Let Us Get A Good Look At You: Here's Chandler talking about how he felt after the spring game

What About A Highlight Of Him Doing What Looks Like A Very Painful Touchdown Celebration?:  Sure.