His sights may be set on the Lombardi Trophy but could Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones be focusing on the Mirror Ball Trophy in the offseason?
If Jones had his way, he would be.
For the third time this season, Jones found himself in the end zone and, of course, dancing. His efforts have been good enough earn him the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award twice in four weeks as the Ravens’ primary kick returner, but the real fireworks for Jacoby usually start AFTER he scores.
“I’m trying to get on Dancing with the Stars,” Jones said today in the Ravens locker room. “I’d win too.”
Jones also says that he doesn’t “wing it” out there, instead planning his dances prior to each game.
“I’ve got a dance for every week, trust me,” he said. “I keep them in my back pocket.”
As he would do on Dancing with the Stars, Jones tries to deliver dances with varying degrees of difficulty. After a few difficult selections for his first two celebrations, he kept his most recent dance basic.
“This week, it was the cabbage patch,” Jones said. “I just wanted to go old school and have a good time.”
Jones’ good time also included some family members in the stands. After returning a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, Jones flipped the ball into the stands. The ball landed in the same area where his mother, aunt and two cousins ‘cabbage-patched’ in unison.
“My cousin actually predicted [the return]. He was like, ‘man, I think you’re going to take one back right towards us’,” Jones said. “When I was running, I [said to myself], ‘man, that sucker called it’.”
Currently in its 15th season, the popular ABC show is no stranger to NFL players, both active and retired. Some players have used it as an avenue to improve their cardio and footwork during the offseason.
Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith won the Mirror Ball Trophy as a retired player and Hines Ward and Donald Driver both won as active players during the offseason.
However, no Raven has ever been on the show, and one has to wonder if “Dancing with the Stars” is on John Harbaugh’s list of approved offseason activities. In addition, Jones doesn’t have the high profile that producers typically look for in recruiting players.
If he keeps scoring long touchdowns and earning Player of the Week awards though, he may be well on his way.
