Jarvis Jones: Georgia’s 3-4 Helping Me Learn Steelers Defense
By Mike Dyce
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Georiga Bulldogs linebacker Jarvis Jones, and he is slated to be the Steelers first defensive starter as a rookie in over 10 years. Think about the gravity of that, Troy Polamalu was drafted in 2003 and didn’t start as a rookie.
Jones is crediting his coaches at Georgia and their 3-4 system with helping him learn the Steelers defense and fitting in so easily.
“Georgia’s 3-4 system under Coach (Todd) Grantham was very helpful for me and my pro career at Pittsburgh,” Jones said, via GeorgiaDogs.com. “There may be more to do here and it may be more complex, but what I learned at Georgia has given me an advantage with the Steelers. To begin with, I am playing for a first-class organization. They expect to compete for the Super Bowl every year. The Steelers have won more Super Bowls than any NFL team, and they expect to win more.”
“Just like it was at Georgia with Coach Grantham, our D-coordinator here, Dick LeBeau, is very knowledgeable about the 3-4 defense, and he knows how to teach it. He is a very good communicator, and the players appreciate him and his style. It is fun to come to practice and learn something new from him every day. One thing different is that I will be playing right outside linebacker with the Steelers. At Georgia, I flopped, depending on what the offense was doing.”
LeBeau was ready to praise Jones and his work ethic.
“Jarvis,” says LeBeau, “came in here with a no-nonsense, ‘I’m ready to work’ attitude. All along I felt that he would be a good fit for us and that we are a good fit for him. I am confident that he will have a fine NFL career. He makes plays and he has the kind of attitude to succeed and improve.”
Jones is aware of the linebacker legacy he is entering.
“The winning tradition here is something you appreciate, but also in my case, there is a linebacker tradition in Pittsburgh. You have a lot to live up to when you think about their great linebackers over the years.”