Andre Jones, the father of Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver TJ Jones (above),played two games for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1991. Andre passed away in 2011 at the age of 42. (Reuters)
FT. LAUDERDALE, FLA. - There are any number of players from the last Notre Dame team to win a national championship that TJ Jones could talk to this week.
There is his godfather, Raghib Ismail. There is Tony Brooks, another player from that famed 1988 Fighting Irish team from almost a quarter century ago, who is in regular contact with Jones.
But the man he wishes he could share the experience of the pinnacle of college football the most is available only in the memories the 20-year-old is keeping alive.
Jones, a budding big-play receiver for the Irish, is Notre Dame through and through, thanks to his father Andre, a defensive end on the 1988 team.
The two shared a lot about the elder Jones’ history in football. His brief NFL and CFL careers, including a stop in Winnipeg where TJ was born.
His time with the Irish in that magical 1988 season. And most of all, what it takes to be a champion.
