TALLAHASSEE — Former FSU linebacker Marvin Jones was ahead of his time.
In an era before spread offenses were all the rage, linebackers were not required to do as much as they are in today's game. Stopping the run was a top priority, and being adequate in pass coverage was an extra perk.
Jones wasn't quite a hybrid linebacker — teammate Derrick Brooks was better against the pass — but his ability to impact games with his tenacity and sideline-to-sideline speed was legendary.
"Marvin Jones is the best linebacker I`ve ever seen playing college football," former Miami coach Dennis Erickson said in 1992, when Jones was a junior.