Former Northwestern linebacker Braden Jones, who left the university in March after being charged with assaulting and trying to rob a taxi driver, will return to NU as a student and football player this week, he said Monday.
The former Academic All-American said he chose to leave school after his March 2 arrest, and was later suspended from NU for the summer quarter. After further investigation the criminal charges were dropped, according to his father, Larry Jones.
In June university officials determined that Jones would be reinstated as a student for fall quarter, Braden Jones said.
Jones also said he expects to join the team when he starts classes Wednesday, but he is not yet in playing shape.
“I’m kind of behind with conditioning, because I had a back injury up until about two weeks ago,” Jones said.
In a case stemming from a separate incident, Jones pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of battery and unlawful use of a driver’s license on March 6, 2003, after a January 2003 altercation at a Zeta Beta Tau fraternity party.
Walker said Monday that Jones, who was supposed to move from linebacker to tight end in spring practice, will have no impact in Saturday’s game against Minnesota.
“He knows our football program, so it’s not like he’s coming into a foreign language,” Walker said. “But he has not done anything with us. With all certainty, he won’t be on the plane to Minnesota.”
Step up, big men
With five returning starters, NU’s offensive line was expected to be the Wildcats’ specialty entering this season.
But after three non-conference games, senior left tackle Trai Essex isn’t satisfied with the line’s quarterback protection.
“I’m going to very critical of our offensive line because I don’t think we’re where we need to be right now,” Essex said. “[Quarterback Brett Basanez] has gotten hit way too much in the first three games.”
The Cats have allowed five sacks for 35 yards, putting them seventh in the Big Ten in that category. Essex said he expects more from a unit that was ranked among the nation’s top offensive lines in the preseason.
“This is the Big Ten coming up, and every defense we play will be coming after us,” Essex said. “We kind of have a target on our back as well because we did get a lot of preseason exposure. We just have to step it up, and we need to do it now.”
Reinforcements on the way
The Cats could see the return of two defensive players in Saturday’s Big Ten opener.
Walker said he thinks junior defensive end David Thompson, who sat out against Kansas with a hamstring injury, will play against Minnesota.
Senior linebacker John Pickens, who sat out the Cats’ first three games recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, is also probable this weekend.
Pickens will be looking to make up for the loss of starting linebacker Adam Kadela, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee Saturday and is expected to miss four to six weeks.
Redshirt freshman David Ngene, a defensive end who sat out Saturday’s game, will miss another week with a knee injury.
Reach Teddy Kider at [email protected].
