Bolles’ own Mac Jones ‘17, went 3-0 with wins over the New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, and Los Angeles Rams during his starting stint with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones got the opportunity to start due to 49ers’ starter, Brock Purdy, suffering a toe injury in week one versus the Seattle Seahawks. Purdy missed two weeks and returned in week four to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then missed the following week. In the game that Purdy played, he turned the ball over three times and lost 26-21. Many NFL fans were curious as to why the 49ers would not allow Jones to start against the Jaguars and possibly give him a shot at revenge for the Jaguars’ declining his fifth-year option in April of 2024.
Nonetheless, Jones shone when his name was called, throwing for 905 yards, six touchdowns, and completing more than two-thirds of his passes. Jones’ most memorable moment was when he went 5/7 for 59 yards on the final drive vs. the Arizona Cardinals to set up the game-winning 35-yard field goal by kicker Eddy Piñeiro.
But, arguably, the most important thing he accomplished wasn’t necessarily a stat; it was keeping the 49ers’ playoff hopes alive. Since keeping the 49ers undefeated, they had an 81% chance of making the playoffs. If Jones had lost one game, it would have gone down to around 50%. If he had lost both, 32%. If he had lost all 3, that number would go way down to 8%.
Jones’ three wins with the 49ers beats the number of wins that he had during his time with the Jaguars. In Jacksonville, it took him seven games to hit two wins.
Admittedly so, Jones has had many ups and downs throughout his entire football career. Jones only started one year in high school, won the national championship at Alabama, got selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, was traded, dropped, and is now in San Francisco. “I’ve been through a lot, but I feel like it makes me stronger and not making a big deal about things that aren’t a big deal… You’re never going to be perfect.”
Since arriving in San Francisco in March, Jones has had an important role in the locker room. Jones said, “It’s your friends, it’s your brothers that you’re playing with out there and the closer that you can be off the field the closer you’re going to be on the field. I think everyone knows that about me and I really appreciate the guys on this team for having my back. I have to continue to earn that every day. Like, just because it’s one week doesn’t matter.”
Being a Bolles quarterback Jaxson Flowers ‘28 feels inspired and encouraged by the way Mac Jones has been playing recently. “It’s crazy because he went to my school and played my position. It just shows that I could be in the same position he’s in right now in the future.”
Mr. Stam, who taught Jones his freshmen year, thinks it’s “very cool” to have taught an NFL quarterback, but is no stranger to teaching professional athletes here at Bolles. Along with Jones, Stam has taught Major League Baseball players DJ Stewart ‘12, Hunter Barco ‘19, national Cross Country champion Charles Hicks, along with many others. Stam said that producing high level athletic talent “It’s just kind of how Bolles is.”
Stam described Jones in the classroom as “Goofy, silly, kind, and an A-level student.” He also mentioned how Jones was an anomaly in a sense that he had to grow into his talent. “Mac was just crazy because you never would have thought that when he was a freshman, he would go play football at Alabama… the athletic ability probably wasn’t there yet.”
To this day, Stam and Jones still have a relationship. “If he’s ever on campus or something, he’s a person I try to see. He’d come up and give me a hug.”
Looking forward, Jones might continue to get playing time due to Purdy’s lingering injury. Until Purdy can return, 49ers fans hope that the good times can keep rolling with Jones.
