Freshmen Standouts Reflect On First Season
December 15, 2014 | Football, General
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
Before heading toward the locker room after a recent practice, Sidney Jones IV took a minute to reflect on his freshman season.
“Wow,” he said. “This is such a fast transition. It's unreal.”
This time last year, the cornerback was a senior at West Covina High School. He was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to make the Division I jump. Now 13 games into his first season – he has started 11 games – he is one of the more experienced players in the Huskies' secondary.
“I've loved it,” Jones said. “It is such a great experience. I just came in, competed and had good results.”
With each game and every opportunity presented to Jones and fellow freshman Budda Baker, there has been tangible improvement. Their growth has been so consistent they are talking about taking the next step.
“I'm looking forward to the future,” Jones said.
Baker, a safety, added, “This year has been like a rollercoaster. At the beginning of the season it was down and now it's coming back up. We're almost getting there. We're not quite there, but we have three more years together.”
As he looked back on his debut season, Jones' most memorable moment was the pair of picks he hauled in against Arizona.
“At first I was like, 'Oh my God, I got one pick,'” he said. “Then the second one came and I was like, 'This is unreal.'”
In that game, Jones made critical plays at crucial moments, making a statement that Washington's young secondary, which endured its share of growing pains early in the year, was headed in the right direction.
“I'm giving my all every play and laying it all on the line for my teammates,” Jones said.
When asked to sum up his season, Baker started with one word: “Average.”
Despite starting every game and being named to the SportsonEarth.com All-America team, Baker believes he has yet to play his best football for the Huskies.
“I'm a great competitor,” he said. “I don't like getting beat. I feel like in the beginning I was getting beat too much. As the season progressed, I started getting better.”
Like Jones, Baker is looking forward to the future.
“I'm really ready this next game, the offseason and then next season,” he said. “A lot of people are happy to be on the field, and we're happy and blessed, but at the end of the day, we need to help our linebackers, help our D-line and get picks and pass breakups.”
While Jones has a pair of picks, Baker is still looking for his first interception of the season as the Huskies prepare for a Jan. 2 matchup with Oklahoma State in the Cactus Bowl.
“I'm going to get one,” said Baker, who is third on the team in tackles with 76.
And the way Baker sees it, why stop at one?
“I need to get two or three,” he said with a smile.
Washington's secondary featured two true freshmen and a pair of sophomores in the Apple Cup. The 2014 season has been a trial by fire for the Huskies' young standouts, but this is only the beginning.
“The first week, I didn't really have a wide vision as a safety,” Baker said. “I was eyeing my receiver down and not looking at anything else. Now I know all the calls. I know what the offense is doing. Now it's just way easier for me.
“We're not really freshmen anymore.”
Players Mentioned
