Three questions with former Georgia State soccer player Aaron Jones, who transferred to Clemson following his sophomore year. He is one of the participants in this week’s MLS combine in Carson, Calif. The draft will be held Friday in Los Angeles.
Jones, a fullback, made 36 appearances for the Panthers, scoring three goals with seven assists. He made 39 appearances for the Tigers, scoring four goals with seven assists.
Q: Talk about your experiences at Georgia State and why you left?
A: I came over first, my freshman and sophomore years at Georgia State, and had an amazing time there. I felt like I needed to be in a league like the ACC to get full exposure and to be seen by MLS coaches on a weekly basis so I made the move to Clemson and really enjoyed my time there. Unbelievable school and the coaching staff was brilliant.
Our performances, we made the national championship game in 2015 and the elite eight this past year. I think having that level of exposure on the national stage turned a few heads in terms of coaches and got me to the combine where I am today.
It’s about going out there and performing at the end of the day. I feel like I’ve had a good combine so far and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.
Q: What are you hearing about possibilities for Friday?
A: There wasn’t a massive deal of hype around me coming in as an international student. But I feel like I’ve given some really good performances and I’m hoping on Friday my name’s going to get called. I’m ready for any opportunity that’s thrown at me and absolutely relishing the opportunity to go somewhere in preseason and make an impression.
Q: Did you watch the game on Monday?
A: Me and my teammate, Iman Mafi, sat in our room. We weren’t too confident after the first quarter, but shortly we started making a comeback. When the ball’s in Deshaun Watson’s hands you never know what’s going to happen. We always had a chance. When we throw the touchdown pass to Hunter Renfro I picked him up and supplexed him onto the bed. It was crazy. I’m extremely proud of all the work the team’s done down there. The people of Clemson deserve it because the fan base is unbelievable, not just for the football games but for all sports. My experiences in the soccer field, there’s no place like it. The atmosphere, the fans. It’s unbelievable.
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