Mark Palmer
Earl Jones has an impressive set of accomplishments on the mat: A three-time Kansas high school state champion. A two-time junior college national champion. Ranked third in the 133-pound weight class in an early December 2005 NCAA Division II poll as a wrestler for the University of Central Oklahoma.
All these accomplishments are all the more impressive when you realize that Earl is missing the lower portion of his right leg.
Earl was just seven years old when he lost part of his leg after being bitten by a horse. He wears a prosthetic device for walking and other off-the-mat activities, but not during matches. Earl competes on his knees; however, because he is 5’10 “and tall in the body, he does not give up anything in terms of height when facing his opponents.
Earl was already a wrestler at a club in his hometown of Coffeyville, Kansas at the time of the injury. When asked if there was ever any consideration of giving up the sport, Earl says, “I sat out one season. My folks didn’t think I would continue wrestling.”
When asked if opponents might not have expected much from him before a match, Earl told the Edmond (Oklahoma) Sun, “I’m sure they probably underestimated me at first. It was a little difficult when I first started out. There are advantages to my situation and obviously disadvantages to it.”
In the same article, Central Oklahoma’s head coach David James is quoted as saying, “He’s a neat kid. He’s just a good, tough ole kid. He’s not looking for any special treatment or anything like that. The reason he’s successful is he does the right things. He’s here at practice and enjoys what he’s doing.”
During a phone interview, Earl reaffirmed that sentiment with this statement: “I’d rather have folks know me as a good, solid wrestler than as the guy with one leg.”
Success from the Start
Earl Jones got an early start in wrestling, taking up the sport at the age of three. Earl found early success, winning eight state kids titles in his native Kansas before his sixteenth birthday. At Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville, Earl won three Kansas state titles at three different weight classes against three different opponents “¦ and just missed claiming the championship his freshman year, placing second. He concluded his high school career with an impressive 148-6 record.
After high school, Earl stayed close to home for the first two years of college, attending Labette Community College, about thirty minutes from Coffeyville. At Labette, Earl continued his winning ways, compiling a 56-6 record, and bringing home two national junior college titles. As a freshman, Earl won the NJCAA championship at 125 pounds. In his second year, Earl not only won the 133-pound crown, but he also earned Outstanding Wrestler honors to cap off a near-perfect 27-1 sophomore season “¦ and helped lead Labette to a national team title.
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore
For his junior year, Earl transferred to the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, a Division II program, knowing that there was already a returning All-American at 133, Jared Henning.
“I knew it would be tough, “Earl told the Edmond Sun. “Of course Henning is a tough guy. But I thought I could hang right there with him.”
The two have wrestled each other at least three times outside practice session matches:
“¢ In the Blue vs. Bronze intrasquad dual in early November, the incumbent Henning won 3-1 with a takedown in the second sudden victory period.
“¢ At the Central Missouri State Open on November 13, Earl got revenge with a 4-3 victory over his teammate.
“¢ A couple weeks later, the two faced off yet again, this time in the finals at the Fort Hayes State Open. At this early December tournament in Kansas, Earl gained a 3-2 overtime win. Neither Broncho scored in the one-minute sudden victory period; in the first 30-second tiebreaker, Earl scored an escape “¦ then rode his teammate/opponent in the second tiebreaker to secure the victory.
For now, Central Oklahoma will be alternating between Earl Jones and Jared Henning, giving the team incredible power at 133.
Taking On Some of the Best in the Midwest
Early in his first year at the Division II school, Earl has found himself up against impressive opponents — including a number of Division I wrestlers — and served up some surprises along the way.
Earl earned third place in his weight class at the Central Missouri State Open — a one-day tournament with nearly 400 wrestlers from as far away as Stanford — by defeating Amond Prater of the University of Missouri, 4-2, in the consolation finals.
One week later, at the Kaufman-Brand Open, Earl opened the tournament with a 4-3 win over Oklahoma State’s Justin Porter “¦ then followed that by beating Jesse Sundell of Iowa State, ranked thirteenth in the nation, by the score of 9-6. In the quarterfinals, Earl upset eighth-ranked Scott Jorgensen of Boise State “¦ then shut out Iowa State’s Nick Gallick, 3-0, in the semifinals. Earl fell just short of the title, losing in the finals to seventh-ranked Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State, 3-2.
In a published interview after the Kaufman-Brand Open, Central Oklahoma head coach David James said, “Earl and Heath (Jolley, the Bronchos’ 197-pounder) both did a great job for us. The tournament is a meat grinder and it takes a toll on you, but those two guys stepped up and wrestled well.”
Stepping Up to the Sooners
On November 30, Central Oklahoma opened its dual-meet season by hosting the University of Oklahoma at Hamilton Fieldhouse. The wrestlers from Norman were not the most gracious guests; the Sooners (ranked second in Division I at the time) trounced the Bronchos, 32-6, winning half their matches by major decision, and another by fall.
It wasn’t all bad for the Bronchos, who had two wrestlers win their bouts “¦ one of them being Earl Jones. That night, the UCO 133-pounder secured a solid win over Sooner Trey Blakely. Earl got to work early, scoring a takedown in the first nine seconds of the match. In the second period, Earl got another takedown, then added an escape and a riding time point to make the final score 6-1.
“It was a golden opportunity for our guys to wrestle a team of this caliber in the University of Oklahoma, “coach James said to the Edmond Sun. “I am very pleased and glad that we picked up two wins. Earl Jones “¦ wrestled hard and did a great job.”
All this success is paying dividends for Earl — and his team. In a NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association poll released December 7, Earl was ranked third in the 133-pound weight class “¦ and the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos have moved up to fifth in the team rankings.
Looking Forward
When asked about his goals for the rest of the season, Earl Jones is straightforward: “I hope to win a national title, and help put my team on top, too. Other than our loss to OU, we’re looking pretty tough, doing well at the opens.”
In looking beyond college, Earl is not interested in a career in freestyle or Greco-Roman competition — “at least not right now “according to Jones. He would like to use his major — physical education — to become a wrestling coach at the high school or college level. “I would want to follow the example of my coaches, and be a strong motivator, “says Earl.
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