Thomas Jones had the best season of his career with the New York Jets during Rex Ryan's first season as a head coach.
In 2009, Jones gained 1,402 yards on the ground and scored 14 touchdowns. Tough business decisions saw Jones wind up with the Kansas City Chiefs the following year, though Jones will return to the Meadowlands Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Jets.
During a conference call with the New York media Wednesday, Jones had nothing but positive things to say about his time with the Jets, who took out a full-page ad in the Kansas City Star in 2010 thanking Jones for his contributions.
"He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. I loved playing for Rex," Jones said. "... He’s my kind of coach and I think I was his kind of player. I wish him the best of luck, too. To have a coach like him, he’s almost like a player.
"You want to go out there and run into a brick wall for him just because he would do the same thing for you. He’s a special coach, he’s a special guy. I think he respected me and respected what I did for the organization and I respected what he brought to the organization."
Jones' production in 2009 was extremely beneficial for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was a rookie at the time. Jones' production on the ground took a lot of weight off of Sanchez, who had enough on his plate as a rookie field general in New York City.
"He was one of the best teammates I’ve ever had," Sanchez told the media Wednesday. "[He was] just a real team leader, especially during that playoff push. ... He didn’t say much, but when he did, it was important. It was serious [and] it was from the heart. He was one of the best players I’ve ever been around, so that was a fun time. I’m looking forward to seeing him."
"He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had. I loved playing for Rex," Jones said. "... He’s my kind of coach and I think I was his kind of player. I wish him the best of luck, too. To have a coach like him, he’s almost like a player.
"You want to go out there and run into a brick wall for him just because he would do the same thing for you. He’s a special coach, he’s a special guy. I think he respected me and respected what I did for the organization and I respected what he brought to the organization."
Jones' production in 2009 was extremely beneficial for Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was a rookie at the time. Jones' production on the ground took a lot of weight off of Sanchez, who had enough on his plate as a rookie field general in New York City.
"He was one of the best teammates I’ve ever had," Sanchez told the media Wednesday. "[He was] just a real team leader, especially during that playoff push. ... He didn’t say much, but when he did, it was important. It was serious [and] it was from the heart. He was one of the best players I’ve ever been around, so that was a fun time. I’m looking forward to seeing him."
Jones bonded with Sanchez during their time playing together, and the veteran running back didn't hold back his feelings toward the third-year signal-caller.
"He’s a really, really good kid. He’s smart, he works really hard, he has unbelievable ability and it was an honor for me to play with him his rookie year," Jones said of Sanchez. "He took us to the AFC Championship Game as a rookie — that’s really, really hard to do.
"... I tried to be a friend to him and kind of an older brother to him as well. I’ve been through a lot of situations, and I just try to give him advice through the good and tough times. I hope he remembers those times, because I do."
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