Big Play Has not Changed St. Louis Ram Linebacker

MACOMB, Ill. —  Mike Jones doesn’t brag about his Super Bowl-saving tackle.

If he talks about his epic stop at all, it’ll be without a trace of wonder or even satisfaction. When he discusses how he dragged down Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson about a yard shy of the goal line on the game’s final play to preserve the St. Louis Rams’ 23-16 victory, he gives the impression he’s far from a savior.

“It felt like making another tackle,” he said. “It was something I was supposed to do. I just made the play.”

Such just-the-facts analysis is the norm for a guy who’s far removed from the Rams’ stable of stars and whose name is so common it sounds like an alias -- the Rams had two Mike Joneses two years ago.

Even the three touchdowns he scored last year couldn’t change his image as a worker bee, a former college running back who wasn’t drafted, a guy who just gets the job done while Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk get the attention. During the Super Bowl buildup, he was the guy at the table not surrounded by media.

Blending in is the way he seems to like it.

Jones’ agent, Harold Lewis, was crying in the stands of the Georgia Dome after Jones’ play capped perhaps the most stunning finish in Super Bowl history. Confetti dropped from the rafters as the celebration began.

“It was so emotional for me,” Lewis said. “He said, ‘It’s just another play. Why is everyone getting so excited. This is what we get paid to do?’ He’s very, very humble.”

The play, described by then-coach Dick Vermeil as perhaps the most famous tackle in NFL history, reaped a whirlwind of promotional dividends for Jones, including several high-profile guest spots. He chatted with Regis and Kathie Lee, had an extended sitdown with PBS’ Charlie Rose. He and Titans running back Eddie George recreated the Super Bowl showdown scenario on a new John Madden video football game.

Jones also gave Super Bowl and league MVP Warner some competition in the publishing department with a book. Six pages are devoted to the single snap that could have changed his life, and inflated his ego. But nothing much has changed.

“I still do the same things I have always done,” he said. “People might recognize me a little more outside of the St. Louis area.”

The team prizes Jones for his low-key, results-oriented style, and he’s the winner three times running of an annual spirit award. Middle linebacker London Fletcher is a quote machine and loves to celebrate his stops. The guy who lines up alongside him just gets back up and jogs to the huddle.

“Some of the best players in the league are like that,” new coach Mike Martz said. “They don’t bring attention to themselves, all they do is make plays.

“All he does is line up and go like crazy. He’s a coach’s dream.”

Teammates love playing with Jones because of his production -- he was third on the team in tackles, had four interceptions and forced two fumbles -- and also because of his unassuming nature. Last year they chose him as their liaison to Vermeil, sending him up to the coach’s office whenever they had gripes to air or suggestions to make.

“Mike Jones is always welcome at my house for dinner,” tackle D’Marco Farr said.