A pilot never forgets his first solo flight. For Purdue senior running back Markell Jones, it was a bit harrowing.
Things were going smoothly for Jones, who was flying a basic pattern over the Purdue airport. Then, it was time to land. And that's when things got interesting.
"I was a little nervous," Jones confesses. "Things are happening a little fast. I am looking for traffic. Then, the tower says something like, 'Purdue 15, you are No. 3 to land.'
"I look out and count the traffic ... and there is some confusion. I told the tower I saw the traffic. But as I am coming around, the other plane I am supposed to be behind by a safe distance is making its turn to land, as well. We missed each other, thankfully. He squawked at me on the radio and told me to go around. It wasn't that close, but it was pretty frightening."
Happy to report it has been all smooth flying for Jones since then, as the senior from Columbus, Indiana, is set to graduate in May with a degree in professional flight technology. When Jones isn't navigating the friendly skies over West Lafayette, he has been taking off on the field the last four seasons.
In Jones' first three years on campus, he led the team in rushing. He burst on the scene as a true freshman in 2015, running for 875 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Jones rushed for 616 yards and four scores, and last season he had 556 yards and a touchdown. With more than 2,300 career rushing yards, Jones will leave an imprint on the record book, ranking in the top 10 in school annals. He also ranks among the top 10 Boilermakers in carries and rushing touchdowns.
"I have been pleased with what I have been able to accomplish at Purdue," says Jones, who rushed for a career-high 217 yards against Indiana in last season's Old Oaken Bucket Game victory, the fifth-most by a player from either school in the storied rivalry. "But it's all about the team, really. It's not about what I have been able to do. It has been great to see this program get back to its winning ways under Jeff Brohm."
The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Jones has taken a backseat to classmate D.J. Knox this year, as Knox has enjoyed a boffo senior season. That's A-OK with Jones.
"D.J. is one of my best friends," says Jones, the 2014 Indiana Mr. Football at Columbus East High School. "It hasn't been hard for me (to play a lesser role). Football is a game where you have to find your role. This may not be the role I expected, but I am not bitter about it. I feel comfortable in my role because the team is having success. That is more important than myself."
Jones endured some tough times on the field his first two seasons in West Lafayette, when the Boilermakers won a combined five games overall and just two in the Big Ten Conference. Now, Jones has been part of one bowl team as a member of a senior class that has helped flip the script for Purdue. A big key to the Boilermaker revival: the family atmosphere that Brohm has fostered.
"Coach Brohm told us on Day 1 he was going to be a player's coach," Jones says. "He really takes that to a whole other level. The coaches eat dinner with us and have us over to their houses. That family atmosphere is second to none. For the players who are far from home, for them to be able to be around coach Brohm and the other families, it means a lot and is special."
Jones' family is special to him, too. He got the chance this past summer to fly home to Columbus.
"It was pretty cool," Jones says. "I went down there with my instructor, and we had breakfast with my family at the Hangar 5 restaurant.
"There are things from flying that help me on the football field. Some of the mental aptitude. Whenever you are flying, there are a lot of things going on and things change quickly, just like on the football field. Quick changes, things happen on the fly, you have to react and act quickly. There is some crossover between flying and football."
Jones developed an affinity for flying from his father, Jym, who pilots 767s for UPS.
"I used to take him with me when I flew corporate planes," Jym Jones says. "I also used to let him fly simulators. He was a natural.
"He was good on the football field as a kid, too. Back in fifth grade, Markell was too heavy to carry the ball in tackle football. But in an all-star game after the season, the team we were playing let him. He was back to return a kickoff. Markell picked the ball up and ran 90 yards for a touchdown."
And Jones never looked back.