Aaron Jones relaxes at send-off party ahead of NFL Draft

Aaron Jones, UTEP’s all-time leading rusher, is just a few days away from possibly hearing his name called in the NFL Draft.

The draft will begin on Thursday in Philadelphia. But on Friday Jones was at Spirit of 66 as fans and friends wished him well before he leaves for the draft.

Jones admitted he was a bit nervous about the upcoming draft, but says that having so many friends in his corner is making things easier.

“It means a lot. It makes the whole process a little bit easier when I can turn around and see the city of El Paso supporting me,” said Jones, who averaged 7.3 yards per carry last season.

Jones is projected by many prognosticators to be a 6th or 7th round pick in the draft. He admitted last week that the Dallas Cowboys have shown the most interest in him so far of any team. Jones was the center of attention at Spirit of 66, signing autographs and taking photos, but says he’s just grateful that his success has brought more attention to UTEP and El Paso high school football. He says that his biggest goal is to put El Paso football on the map, and he hopes being selected by an NFL team will do just that. “We’ve got college scouts coming in here taking notice of kids with talent, and more people are starting to get seen,” said Jones. “So, it’s definitely a big thing for me. I’m glad that it’s happening.”