HEART OF CHAMPION
Whatever lacking, Jones made up for handicap
If you happen to meet Earl Jones, don’t expect him to tell you that he was last year’s JUCO national champion at 125 pounds. You’ll be waiting a long time if you want him to tell you about all the success he’s had in wrestling and he most certainly won’t let you know that he’s at a disadvantage. In fact, Jones would prefer to let his wrestling do all the talking for him.
Jones has never known a life without wrestling. At the age of four, he began participating in the sport and found a great deal of success. But at the age of seven, Jones was in an accident that would change his approach to wrestling and life.
While riding horseback, Jones’ horse met up with another horse in an adjoining field and the two horses began fighting. During the encounter, the other horse ended up biting Jones’ leg. Jones then fell out of the saddle and got his foot caught in the stirrup. The horse was frightened and began dra
gging Jones for about two miles. Jones was hospitalized after the accident and his right leg was amputated above the knee.“I was riding a horse and a different one reached over and bit it off,” said Jones about the accident. “I don’t really remember what happened. It was kind of a blur. All I remember is I woke up in the hospital without a leg. Everybody else didn’t think I would be able to wrestle again but I did. I pretty much had to change everything and learn a different style. It was like starting over basically.”
After a mishap that could have killed him, Jones pursued the sport as if the incident had never occurred. By the age of eight he was back on the mats competing in tournaments nearly every weekend, finding success as frequently as he had before the accident.
When Jones reached high school the winning didn’t stop. While competing for Coffeyville-Field Kindley, Jones compiled a career record of 143-6 and won three 4A Kansas state titles after finishing second as a freshman. After going undefeated during his final three years of competition, Jones was named Kansas wrestler of the year in 2003.
Jones then took his talents 30 minutes from his hometown to Parsons, Kan., where he began wrestling for Joe Renfro at Labette Community College. During his first year of competition, the former high school standout decided to make the cut down to 125 pounds having wrestled at 130 pounds during his senior year in high school. Ranked second for most of the 2004 season, Jones won a JUCO national title after an exciting 11-7 finals match over Northwest Wyoming’s top-ranked Seth Wright and posted a 26-5 record.
“Earl is a little shy at times and he doesn’t like to brag,” said Labette Community College head coach Joe Renfro about his standout wrestler. “He’s very basic and very fundamental in his approach to the sport. He’s in your face and he stays there. Since he wrestles from one knee there aren’t a lot of places that he can go on the mat. He has incredible hand strength. He’s got great motion, good flexibility and phenomenal strength. He’s the perfect wrestler that you want. He’s not going to get rattled or taken out of his game.”
Yet there are those who feel that Jones has a decided advantage over his opponents. At 5’11” Jones is tall for his weight class. Since he is missing the lower half of his right leg the size of his frame is considerably larger than those individuals he is competing against. Jones has the body of a 157 or a 165 pounder but will be competing this season against wrestlers at the 133-pound weight class, which some people feel is a perceived benefit when Jones is on top of his opponent.
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