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Rams just trying to keep up with the Joneses
09/05/98 12:08:01 AM
By Steve Korte
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
ST. LOUIS -- Being in two places at the same time is no problem if you're Mike Jones of the St. Louis Rams.
That's because the Rams have two players named Mike Jones.
The Rams created this identity crisis by acquiring defensive end Mike David Jones from the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The Rams already had linebacker Mike Anthony Jones.
Having two Mike Joneses on the roster left Rams equipment manager Todd Hewitt with a dilemma. What names should he put on the backs of their jerseys?
``When we had Jack and Jim Youngblood, I used the regular three-inch letters for Youngblood, and I used two-inch letters to put Jim and Jack above it,'' Hewitt said.
Hewitt contacted the NFL office for advice.
``The league had never heard of anything like this,'' Hewitt said. ``It was new to the league, too.''
The NFL suggested that Hewitt use ``M. Jones'' on both jerseys.
``If they were on different sides of the ball, we could have gotten away with it,'' Hewitt said. ``But, they could be in on the same tackle. It could be Mike Jones and Mike Jones making the same tackle.''
Hewitt opted for adding middle initials. It will be ``M.A. Jones'' and ``M.D. Jones'' suiting up for the Rams' season-opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
``No. 90 will be the doctor, M.D. Jones,'' Hewitt noted.
Both Mike Jones' seemed mildly amused by the hubbub over their name.
``That is definitely a unique situation,'' Mike D. Jones said. ``I guess they are just going to plop middle initials in there. I don't know how they are going to do it over the loudspeaker when one of us makes a tackle, so I think I'll jump up first and wave so I can pad my stats.''
Jim Holder, the public address announcer at the Trans World Dome, said he hasn't been given a directive on how to differentiate between Mike Jones, thedefensive end, and Mike Jones, the linebacker.
``To have some fun with it, if it's a sack or an interception, I might say that's No. 52, Michael A. Jones, and that's No. 90, Michael D. Jones,'' Holder said, accentuating the middle initials with his booming voice.
Both Mike D. Jones and Mike A. Jones are 29 years old (they were born 41 days apart in 1969), but there is no confusing them when it comes to appearance.Mike D. Jones is three inches taller and 40 pounds heavier than Mike A. Jones.
``I've never played with another Mike Jones,'' Mike A. Jones said. ``I've played with a bunch of other Joneses, but never another Mike Jones.''
Mike Jones played against Mike Jones when Mike A. Jones was with Oaklandand Mike D. Jones was with New England.
``I played against Mike twice when he was in New England,'' Mike A. Jonessaid. ``I'd kid around with him when we were walking off the field. I'd say. TThat's a pretty nice name,' and he'd start laughing.''
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