A brand new Florida State defender aims to turn his home state into Seminoles fans.
Florida State garners a reputation for having a huge Sunshine State following for football.
Yet one transfer vows to get more fans cheering for FSU out of Mississippi -- and create a Magnolia State pipeline.
Southern Miss linebacker transfer Chris Jones spoke to the media for the first time since his transfer to FSU. He's envisioning more than impacting the FSU defense, though.
"I'm a real Mississippi guy. That's what I rep. There's talent down there in Mississippi," Jones explained to reporters. "We don't get the looks we want coming out of high school. I went to a small private school at Hartfield, but there's so much talent down there that people don't see because we don't have that big spotlight."
That said, he hopes the jump from the Sun Belt Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference -- plus playing for a national brand like Florida State -- can galvanize fans in his home state and convince younger kids to give FSU more of a look.
"It motivates me every day because there are plenty of kids from Mississippi who could be where I am right now, only because of opportunity. I'm going to show why Mississippi should be on the map here at Florida State," Jones vows.
The LB started in 13 out of 22 games for the Golden Eagles. He racked up 180 total tackles including 12 behind the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-1 LB brings some pass rushing skills too from his ILB spot with 4.5 sacks there last season.
His big picture goal is to turn Byram, Miss., and his entire native state into Florida State fans. But that's not his only goal -- with the other involving his growing relationship with linebackers coach Ernie Sims.
"One of my goals is to be a first-round draft pick like Coach Sims. I want to create a lot of value for myself here at Florida State," Jones said. "That comes with trusting the time and the process. It doesn't come easy, especially making a big transition from another school."
He adds: "Being a first-round pick and trying to get out early is one of my biggest goals. If that doesn't work, we'll keep working and grinding. Coach Sims knew that when I came in, and he's on a mission to help me get there."
Jones is among the prized transfers coming into Tallahassee alongside quarterback Ashton Daniels and running back Quintrevion "Tre" Wisner.
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