Football | 1/2/2018 12:42:00 PM

Wingate, N.C.----Many Wingate University students will remember where they were located when 2017 Wingate University Sports Hall of Fame inductee David Jones ('07) was drafted into the National Football League by the New Orleans Saints.
 
"The Jefferson quad was wild with excitement Sunday afternoon when Wingate University students learned David Jones was drafted into the NFL by the New Orleans Saints. Jones is the first player to be drafted by an NFL team in Wingate history."  Written in an April 2007 feature by Drew Collier, this statement represents a piece of Wingate history for which David Jones will always be remembered.
 
As the first player from Wingate University to be drafted to the league, David Jones' feats on the field as well as his athletic ability set him apart from the rest of the Division II draft stock in his class. He even vaulted ahead of some high-prospect DI talent, proving to everyone that the dream of playing professional football isn't limited to only the more highly advertised Division I programs. 
 
His favorite memory of his time on the field for the Bulldogs involves his first career interception and his first career touchdown in the same game. Wingate head football coach Joe Reich believes Jones' demeanor was as important as his physical attributes and success on the field. "David's a real attitude guy," Reich says. "Every day, he always had an outstanding attitude." 
 
Graduating with a degree in marketing from Wingate, Jones' favorite non-athletics related memory is when he received his diploma in the mail, as he was at the New Orleans Saints' rookie training camp the day of graduation.
 
A determined individual, David Jones has never stopped striving for greatness. Following his six-year NFL career, Jones continues to stay busy. He is currently relocating his business to Charlotte, while consulting and working on attaining his PhD. Of his experiences at Wingate University, David Jones says they were pivotal in his life.
 
"I recommend Wingate to everyone all the time," Jones says. "Why? Because it is my alma mater and I am proud to be a Wingate graduate…Wingate is a great school with faculty and staff who legitimately care about your well-being as a student. The small, intimate classrooms really help students, especially freshmen, not to get overwhelmed. The professors' doors are always open…it isn't just a cliché they tell students." 
 
David Jones will always be the first Bulldog drafted into the NFL. Wingate fans hope he is not the last. For his achievements, Jones found a place in the Wingate University Sports Hall of Fame.
 
10 questions with David Jones ('07)
 
What are you doing now?
 
I am a currently in the process of relocating my business to Charlotte as well as consulting and working on my doctorate.
 
What was your most memorable athletic experience at Wingate?
 
My most memorable moment was during the 2004 season (my sophomore year). We were playing Tusculum at Wingate…they were ranked number 24 in the country…a really good football team. In the fourth quarter, DeColbie Esco flushed the Tusculum quarterback out of the pocket. As a result, he scrambled and threw the ball to the receiver I was covering and I stepped in front of it and got my first collegiate interception. The absolute next drive…at nearly the same spot as the first play…the QB scrambles and throws to my receiver. I stepped in front of the ball and recorded a 40-yard interception return for my first career touchdown.
 
What was your most memorable non-athletic experience at Wingate?
 
My most memorable non-athletic experience at Wingate has to be the day I received my diploma in the mail. I didn't get to walk because the day we graduated was the day I had to report to rookie mini-camp. I was upset, because I had tons of family planning to come see me walk across the stage. I called (New Orleans head coach) Sean Payton's secretary and asked if I could come the next day. She called me back and said Coach Payton said "he is a draft pick, so I expect him to be here." Opening the package and seeing my diploma is still one of the best moments of my life.
 
Who was your favorite professor at Wingate (and why)?
 
My favorite professor was Dr. Nancy Bush. She was one of the sweetest, smartest and coolest people I have ever met. She taught me so much. She was the reason I chose marketing as my major. She was also a HUGE sports fanatic and kept up with all of her student-athletes and their respective sports. Honestly, I can't remember a football or basketball game when I didn't see her.
 
One word you would use to describe your personality?
 
Determined
 
What would you most like people to know about you?
 
I would like people to know that I am slightly OCD.
 
If you could be fictional character from any movie, television show, book, etc., for a day…who would it be and why?
 
I would have to say I would be Wolverine. He is a straight shooter, but he doesn't trust people very easily. This is something that, in my opinion, needs to be earned. Much like Wolverine, I have a tough exterior, but I am a good person on the inside…not to mention Wolverine is virtually indestructible and nearly impossible to hurt. He takes his cuts, bruises, and wounds and heals and continues to fight.
 
What was the first pair of shoes you wore when you first started playing your sport?
 
My first pair of football cleats were the Nike Barracudas…they felt like lineman cleats, but were supposed to be for skill positions.
 
Why would you recommend Wingate University to others?
 
I recommend Wingate to everyone all the time. Why? Because it is my alma mater and I am proud to be a Wingate graduate. Wingate is a great school with faculty and staff who legitimately care about your well-being as a student. The small, intimate classrooms really help students (especially freshmen) not to get overwhelmed. The professors' doors are always open…it isn't just a cliché they tell students.
 
Describe your experience at Wingate in one word?
 
Pivotal
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY

A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 11 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 99 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 108 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.

(Wingate graduate student Jacob Ormerod wrote this story. A 2017 Wingate graduate and biology major, Ormerod is working on his MAT while utilizing his final season of lacrosse eligibility this spring.)