COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -Under the Friday night lights that helped build his legend, former NFL first-round pick and Carver High School standout Jarvis Jones has returned home.
Jones, a former All-American at the University of Georgia and linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, has been named the new head football coach at his alma mater. He said the opportunity means more than just football.
“It’s always amazing to come back to my foundation, to where it all started for me, and to be the head coach of my alma mater,” Jones said. “Man, it’s definitely a blessing—something I’m grateful for. It means a lot to me, because not only do I get to coach these great student-athletes at Carver, but I get to be a pillar in our community.”
Jones takes over a program that is coming off a Georgia High School Association Class 2A state championship. He credited former head coach Corey Coffey with establishing a strong foundation.
“I’ve got to say thank you to Coach Coffey,” Jones said. “He did a tremendous job with this program, handing it over in great shape. They helped the team win a state title, and those are the qualities I want this new group to understand.”
Jones acknowledged that while the championship history is meaningful, this season marks a fresh start.
“We’ve got a whole new set of seniors. It’s a totally different team,” he said. “I’m walking into this with a clean slate. We have talent, and we feel capable. For me, it’s about taking it one week at a time and chopping the wood—just getting better every week.”
Before stepping into coaching, Jones learned from some of football’s most respected leaders. At Carver, he played under Del McGee. In college, he was coached by Mark Richt and Pete Carroll. In the NFL, he suited up for Mike Tomlin. Most recently, he worked alongside Kirby Smart at Georgia, where he was part of back-to-back national championships.
“I’ve been around some of the greatest human beings that have played and coached this game,” Jones said. “Just being around that level of talent—from a player to a coaching standpoint—has helped shape me. These are people who love the game and have given so much back to it.”
Jones said he now hopes to pass along those lessons, shaping a new generation of Carver athletes.
“The identity I want is a tough team—one that plays with attitude, that strikes, hits, runs hard and has fun,” he said. “The connection between these players is everything, and the talent here—it’s unbelievable.”
The “Tiger King” has returned—not to reclaim a throne, but to help build a legacy, one player and one practice at a time.
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