Michigan State Football: Top 10 players of the Mark Dantonio era
If you could name one linebacker that could overtake Max Bullough on an all-time list, it’s definitely Greg Jones. Heck, Jones is the 1A to Bullough’s 1B in terms of rank in the Dantonio era at linebacker — with Denicos Allen not too far behind.
Jones was one of those guys whose name was seemingly always called from the press box after a defensive stand. If you ever went to a Michigan State game while Greg Jones was the middle linebacker, you probably remember hearing his name called about 10-15 times per game because of a solo tackle or an assisted one more often than not.
The Cincinnati-native was the first Spartan to win back-to-back first-team All-America honors since Bubba Smith and George Webster in the mid-1960s — that’s some elite company. Jones kickstarted what has since become a stellar Michigan State defensive unit and he was one of the founding fathers of that ferocious defense under Dantonio.
With the opportunity to go to the NFL after his junior season in 2009, Jones made an announcement during a basketball game at the Breslin Center, saying that he would be returning for his senior year.
Many were happy with the announcement, but that may have cost his an early-round selection and possibly a longer pro career. Jones finished his four-year career with MSU being named to three first-team All-Big Tens with 465 career tackles — ranking third in MSU history — and 46.5 tackles for loss — ranking second.
Jones was a monster.
Next: 3. Javon Ringer, RB