SEATTLE -- When legendary University of Washington football coach Don James died on October 20, 2013, former players and fellow coaches relished their chance to share the life lessons each learned from the man known simply as The Dawgfather.
Both on and off the field, during his coaching tenure and in retirement, James remained close with his players. Similar to the "Built For Life" message that current UW head coach Chris Petersen instills in his players, the Don James era was built on more than just football.
On Friday, Washington will honor its 1991 National Championship team prior to kickoff against Stanford. With the meeting of Pac-12 North foes being the first Top 10 matchup the Huskies have been in since 1997, the game is the first chance for he next era of Huskies to meet one of the best the program has seen.
Former linebacker Donald Jones, who played at Washington from 1988-1991, missed the chance to come back for the 10-year anniversary. But Jones said he won't miss this opportunity to reconnected with the teammates and time of his life that he thinks about every day.
"Oh I think about it all the time," Jones said with a laugh. "That was one of the greatest experiences of my life. That’s the time where, you may be down or going through something but you always remember and say 'hey I remember that period in time of greatness'. Because that’s where you did something special together."
Jones played a key role in the Huskies' defense throughout the '91 season, spending a lot of time in Don James' office during his career. However, it wasn't the conversations about X's and O's that the former linebacker has continued to remind himself of, but rather the lessons on life that would help Jones through one of the toughest periods in his life.
Jaime Fields, a former NFL linebacker and member of the '91 UW team, was killed in a car accident on August 29, 1999. When Jones heard of his passing it took an emotional toll, and not a day goes by that he doesn't think about Fields or the late Don James.
"He was a father figure and a mentor and a guy that walked with integrity," Jones said, reflecting on the passing of Don James. "When I found out he passed it - it was tough – it was sad. Coach James, he was more than just a great football coach. He was a man that was so intelligent you just learned so much from, and that’s something I think about all the time."
In the same heartbroken breath, Jones struggled to piece together words to express the emotions he still feels to this day about the death of his best friend Jaime Fields.
"I mean Jaime Fields was a guy who brought joy to my life," Jones said with a sigh and a light-hearted laugh. "He was a guy who always made me smile and you knew he had your back. If you ever needed anything Jaime Fields was going to be there for you.
"He came over to my house just before he passed and we had a good time talking and you know those are two guys – Coach James and Jaime Fields – you don’t get better than that. I think about them all the time. I miss those guys, I miss them deeply.”
Since the passing of Fields, followed by the passing of James in October 2013, Jones has turned to the life lessons taught by his former coach to not only heal his wounds, but to teach his children about James' lessons.
Jones has three children, an 11-year old, a 15-year old and 19-year old, who are all involved in athletics. Whether its on the field, in school, or in life, Jones constantly reminds himself and his children about working hard and doing things the right way.
"I try to pass than on to my kids. I let them know if you work hard, do things together you can accomplish anything. That’s why I’m constantly reminding myself to think about that time – even when I’m in business or any type of endeavor I’m doing I feel like if work hard and believe in yourself and you believe you can get it done, you will."
