Michigan State University Athletics
An Influential Namesake: Anthony Jones Jr.
3/2/2012 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 2, 2012
Anthony Jones Jr. with his grandmother, Rosie Manica, and his mother, Temeke Manica, along with head coach Tom Minkel at Michigan State's Senior Day on Feb. 5 at Jenison Field House.
By Nick McWherter, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Adversity is something that everyone faces through the nuances of life - but not many are born into the situation that wrestling senior Anthony Jones Jr. was.
His mother, Temeke Manica, and grandmother, Rosie Manica, raised Jones after his father, Anthony Jones Sr., was murdered before he was even born.
Jones acknowledged the difficulties of growing up without a father but credited the two most resilient women in his life in helping him accomplish the goals he has set for himself as a wrestler in the Big Ten and in life.
"My mother, she is a great woman," Jones said. "My grandmother is a great, strong woman. It was hard, but they filled the voids really good. They put good men around me that taught me everything that I know and everything that I needed to become a great guy and a great man."
Many of those men helped Jones early on with his wrestling career and in life. Coaches can help with technique and guidance on the mat, but family was also vital for him.
"At first it was kind of hard," Jones said of growing up without a father. "But my coach Leonard Logan stepped up and basically was my father figure. I also had my brother's father, Mark Wise, who also helped me out a lot and taught me a lot of things."
His mother and grandmother gave him the strength to get through tough times of adversity in the sport, including facing injuries in both his high school and collegiate career. He had two seasons cut short in high school, and a shoulder injury forced him to miss all of last season.
 Anthony Jones Jr. on his mother and grandmother: "It was hard, but they filled the voids really good. They put good men around me that taught me everything that I know and everything that I needed to become a great guy and a great man."  | |
"My mother and my grandmother were always the key," Jones said. "They also were the ones that put me in everything and motivated me, kept me going and were there when I got hurt running on mats and everything. That is where I get my strength from.
"She is my best and toughest fan and critic at the same time," Jones said of his mother. "I think I get more grief from her about school and wrestling than I do my coaches."
Michigan State head coach Tom Minkel recognized Jones' toughness and strength that eventually lead to him recruiting the 157-pounder out of Highland Park High School in the Metro Detroit area. The injuries Jones faced in high school were a non-factor to Minkel because of the facilities that MSU has to offer and the training program that he has instilled.
"I never really gave that much thought," Minkel said. "I knew that it had been a problem for him. But our hope was that with our strength program and our medical staff and the training that we were doing that he would be OK. We went into it thinking the best."
Another aspect that intrigued Minkel was his relationship with his family and how involved they were with his wrestling career.
"When Anthony competes a lot of his family is there," Minkel said. "They're very supportive, and really marvelous people. And as we have gotten to know his mom and some of his extended family, we have been happy to have them a part of our MSU family. It has been a wonderful fit."
Jones is in the midst of his strongest season as a MSU wrestler. He owns a 19-6 record and is ranked No. 9 nationally at 157 pounds. This weekend, he enters the Big Ten Championships as the No. 4 seed, and is looking to make it back on the Big Ten podium where he placed third in 2010. Minkel feels that the sky is the limit for Jones although there is some work to be done.
"Anthony has got a lot of potential, and he has really demonstrated his maturity so far this year," Minkel said. "I think, actually, he has got a chance to compete for a national title. We're still working on some technical things; there is always room for improvement and we're working on those. He is working on those very hard."
Hard work is something that comes with the sport of wrestling and that doesn't deter Jones in the slightest.
"He's had to work really hard to get where he is at," Minkel said. "I think he is a good example of how persistence, doing the right thing and working hard can take you from wherever you start to someplace really special."
Jones is excited for anther venture in his life on the horizon - becoming the first man in his family to graduate from a Division I university. The business major smiled when thinking about graduation day, walking across the stage and making the women in his life proud.
"It's awesome, words can't really describe it," Jones said. "I'm kind of dreading the day, but so waiting for it. It's something that my family wants, that I want. And, hopefully, I am planning on going to grad school also. Education is the key to doors."
Jones has definitely come a long way. He said there is a sense of pride being named after his father and hopes that Anthony Sr. would be gratified of the man he has become.
"I only hear great things about him," Jones said. "For me to carry his name on, it makes me feel good and it makes me think that I am making him proud right now. Just following dreams and beating stereotypes makes me feel proud. And I think he would be proud of me also if he was here."
