Jones says R-M ‘truly lucky to have Pickle’
If Pickle Nuckol’s name looked good written in gold on a black hoodie, then teammate Boone Jones’ name rolled off the tongue with ease.
Jones, who played football with Nuckols as a defensive back and wide receiver and was greeted with chants of “Boooooooooone” by fans after each play he made, said late Monday that Randolph-Macon College is “truly lucky to have Pickle for the next four years of his life.“
Jones is just one of many former teammates of the leading rusher in Buffalo Gap history that have come forward since The News Virginian broke the story of his decision Sunday.
“Pickle is genuinely the nicest person I have ever know,“ Jones wrote in an e-mail. “Pickle is probably the most respectful friend there is.“
Jones, while a contributing member of the football team with 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns, was the best player on the Bison boys basketball team in 2008-09, averaging a double-double with 17.9 points per game and 10.2 rebounds. After games, he was just as humble as Nuckols, thanking, in order, “God, coaches and teammates.“
It seemed only natural that the two would be friends off the gridiron as well.
“Not only is he one of my best friends, but a great guy,“ Jones wrote. “Playing football with him will the one of the things I’ll remember for the rest of my life.“
Earlier Monday, Nuckols’ former backfield mate, quarterback Travis Morris, wrote that he couldn’t “have had a better guy/athlete standing behind me every play throughout that undefeated season.“
Jones described Nuckols as “inspiring to watch, a little kid’s biggest role model, the ever-deflector of credit” adding that Nuckols was a “I-didn’t-do-anything-spectacular-it-was-all-the-offensive-line kind of guy.“
“When he walked off the field, he gave a smile, patted opponents on the back and hugged his family,“ Boone wrote. “He never draws attention to himself.“
Posted by Jim Sacco at 12:53 PM. Filed under: Prep Football •
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