Two veteran SAC football players take a different path toward realizing their dreams

EJ Jones helped the SAC football team win a conference title. (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).

Earlington “EJ” Jones and Gary Ferman aren’t your conventional run of the mill junior college football players. At the ages of 28 and 29 respectively, Ferman and Jones are 10 or more years older than many of their teammates. The duo have traveled down a different path on their journey to fulfilling their dream of playing college football.

This past season both Jones and Ferman played a major role in leading the Santa Ana College football team to the Metro Conference title, the first time the Dons have done so since 2017, and just the second time SAC has laid claim to a football championship in 22 years.

Jones played high school football in Florida.

Jones, a 6-6, 330-pound offensive tackle, graduated from New Symra High School in Florida in 2010 and then walked on at Bethune Cookman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) with intentions of playing, however his playing career was delayed. He worked several odd jobs over the next few years before enlisting into the U.S. Army where he proudly served for four years from 2013 to 2017. Upon completion of his service, Jones moved to Anaheim and attended Fullerton JC where he played left tackle as a freshman on 2017 Fullerton’s (13-0) championship team.    

Jones decided to return to Bethune Cookman in 2018, but opted not to play football.

In 2019, Jones returned to Fullerton College but decided to focus on academics. He thought his playing days were over. Jones continued to work and go to school and then the coronavius pandemic hit and the 2020 season was cancelled. In 2021, he enrolled at SAC and was attending classes, which the SAC coaches weren’t aware of. In August of 2021, Jones met with SAC Coach Anthony White and was convinced to join the squad.

“I was inspired by Coach White’s welcome,” said Jones. “It felt like family and he offered me the opportunity to play. I was afraid I would never get the chance again.”

Jones won the starting left tackle spot and played a key role as the Dons recorded seven consecutive victories enoute to winning the league title. He was named to the Metro Conference first-team offense for anchoring an offensive line that protected SAC quarterbacks Ceasar Ayala, Luke Wilson and David Griffin, a trio who combined to throw for more than 3,100 yards and 44 touchdown passes.   

”I had to overcome first game jitters, but I worked through it,” Jones said. “I didn’t sleep after our first two losses and I had tears in my eyes. It took us about three games to get our routine down and then we started to gel.

“It’s been a blessing, it’s sacred and I tell all of the young guys, to play every play like it was their last. The military taught me to buckle down and not get overwhelmed. It forced me to think through situations and figure stuff out on my own. I realized that nothing is promised to you, you have to work for everything. I told them my teammates to play with passion and urgency because time goes by quickly. You don’t think time is important when you’re 17 or 18, but you have to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. I felt we accomplished a lot this season and I was able to contribute.

“Overall, it’s been beautiful from the beginning, through the struggle and all the way to now. That’s how life is. The coaches would ask me from time to time to speak to the team, and I would tell them, ‘work hard until it becomes a habit, it’s how you grow from boys to men in football and in life’. Also, ‘to keep honing your skills every day, focus and avoid being lackadaisical.”

In December after turning 30 years old, Jones had a successful tryout for the new Professional Fan Controlled Football League. Jones’ excelled and was informed he was selected to participate in the new league which begins play in April 2022.

“I was really nervous, but I knew I was in great shape and I felt my times were really good and I was really excited when the coach called me the next day to tell I made it,” said Jones, who also had a tryout scheduled in the spring for a professional football league in Europe. In addition, Jones has been contacted by La Verne and Whittier College to consider playing next season.

“I’m focused and I’m looking forward to it,” he added. “It’s always been my dream to play professional football at the highest level, even it’s only for a few plays.” 

Ferman was a running back at Segerstrom.

Ferman played high school football at Segerstrom High School as a running back and safety. He graduated in 2011 and accepted a scholarship to Sacramento State and redshirted the 2011 season. In 2012, he left Sacramento State and enrolled at SAC but didn’t play until the 2013 season.  

In 2014, Ferman left SAC and went to work for an Orange County car dealer in different capacities until 2019. In 2019, he ran into a former teammate/coach (Devonte Beale) who urged him to consider playing again and reminded him that he still had three years of eligibility remaining.

“He got my ear and I started to think seriously about returning,” said Ferman. “I slept on it and in October 2019, I decided to give it a shot and began my training.”

SAC’s head coach, at the time, was Geoff Jones and he gave Ferman an opportunity to join the team.

“I kept training and then COVID hit and the 2020 season was cancelled,” Ferman said. “I was crushed, but when we finally put on the pads during spring practice in 2021 that was the true test. I felt more comfortable. I was faster, stronger, more competitive and realized I had a chance to start. That was huge for me. In retrospect, Covid was a blessing. It gave me more time to train.”

After the 2021 spring practice, Anthony White took over as SAC’s head coach.   

“I got off to a rough beginning learning a new system, but I picked it up and things stated to click,” said Ferman, a 6-0, 230 pound running back. “After the first five games, we caught fire and I was progressing. Following the Harbor game, I really felt I belonged here and it lifted my spirits. I was having fun and I learned stuff about myself. I had made it through adversity and I could still play. It was a highlight for me.”

This past season Ferman finished as the Dons leading rusher, running for 552 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

As a result, Ferman accepted a full scholarship to play at the University of Arkansas at Monticello next season.

“It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Ferman, who had been contacted by a number of others schools (Ottawa University in Arizona, Central Oklahoma University, and Southeastern University in Florida), and despite his age (he turns 29 in Jan 2022). He said none of the schools have made an issue about his age. Ferman plans to obtain a degree in Kinesiology.

“The joke among my teammates is that I’m old enough to be their uncle,” he said. “I was amazed that I can still grind it out with the young guys. I felt like I kept getting better as the season went along. I kept pushing my body and I also was able to mentor some of my teammates and I developed a great camaraderie with them. I didn’t want to regret not trying to play and say to myself, ‘I should have done it.’ I learned that you can bounce back, grow as a person on your own timeline.”

Ferman credits teammates Cole Thomas, John Daskalakis and Ethan Pocci, along with family and friends, for inspiring him to stay with football.

“They went through the whole process with me and without those guys, I don’t think I would have lasted,” Ferman said. “They encouraged me and I realized, that despite my age, I could still do it.” 

White, SAC’s head coach, said junior college football is filled with players who will do a lot to fulfill their dreams. He said was thrilled to have Ferman and Jones as members of his team and was “extremely proud of both of them.”

“Gary is a model of consistency and EJ walked into my office in August before the season and said he wanted to play,” White said. “By the end of season, they were both the heart and soul and spiritual leaders of our team.”

—Courtesy Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone