With his football pads on and his helmet in his hand, he steps onto the field ready to practice what he has been doing his whole life.

He takes three steps back and two steps to the left. The ball is held in place; he moves, kicks and the ball goes in between the goal posts for the perfect field goal.

He backs up and does it again all afternoon, until the rest of the football team begins using the field for team scrimmages. Place kicker Branden Jones knows the routine all too well. At this point, he and his coach begin to work on physical conditioning.

Every day, the sophomore practices his kicking abilities in preparation for the next game. For Jones, it’s all part of being on the team, even though he does most of his workout without the rest of his teammates.

“The team treats me great, it is very supportive,” Jones said. “They have been great all season long.”

An ardent sports fan, Jones doesn’t limit himself to what he can do and started playing sports at age 5 when he joined a soccer team.

“I’ve been playing sports my whole life,” Jones said. “In high school, I played both soccer and football, but in college I had to choose one.”

After graduating from St. Monica’s, Jones registered at EC and immediately became involved with sports on campus.

“I tried out for the volleyball team last year and made it,” Jones said. “I worked out with them and all, but I left the team in the spring to play football.”

Making the transition from the gym to the field was not easy for Jones, who enjoys every aspect of athletic competition.

“It was a tough choice for me to make; I love sports all around,” Jones said. “However, my passion for the game is what brought me back.”

Despite the high hopes for his football career, Jones keeps his priorities on track and doesn’t overlook his academic obligations. Jones, a journalism major, doesn’t let distractions get to him off and on the field.

“My first priority is school,” Jones said. “I would love to go as far as football can take me.”

“Every time I go out on the field, I do the same thing whether there’s pressure or not, ” Jones said. “I tell myself that I’m going to make it over and over again. It helps me block out anything not having to do with the game.”

Since National Football League kicker Adam Vinatieri from the New England Patriots won his team’s first two Super Bowl titles, more attention has been given to the person who occupies the place kicker position. Yet, for Jones, the responsibility to win falls on every player on the team.

“A team plays the whole game together,” Jones said. “There are times when the team plays fifty-nine minutes of football and it does come down to a couple of seconds for one guy.”

Jones experienced that situation in the game versus Golden West Sept. 18. With less than a minute left in regulation time, Jones kicked a 34-yard field goal to win the game.

“When I made the game winner versus Golden West, it felt so good to get that weight off my shoulders,” Jones said. “You get into a tight game and the coach tells you to go in and make an extra three points. It’s such an awesome feeling to go in and do it.”

College has taught Jones how to deal with the unsuccessful side of football when he misses a field goal, helping him to develop his mental side to the game.

“In football, it is said you have to have a bad memory,” Jones said. “If you miss a kick, you can’t think about it, you must put it behind you.”

That is a big difference from what Jones used to do in high school.

“I used to get very down on myself when I missed a kick in high school,” Jones said.

“I need to work on my mentality during practice,” Jones said. “I need to treat practice more like a game situation.”

Jones, a lifetime USC fan, tries to enjoy every minute of what he does now, but keeps his eyes open for any options he might have in the future. Jones is in his second year here, but is in his first year on the team.

“Next season I’ll have enough units to transfer to a university,” Jones said. “If I don’t get picked up by a good program, I’d love to come back to EC.”

Whether or not he returns or not, Jones said he has hopes of some day joining the NFL

“I would like to play for the Miami Dolphins someday,” Jones said. “The San Diego Chargers would be a nice option because I wouldn’t mind staying in California.”

Even though kickers rarely get hit, Jones is not afraid of taking one in the near future.

“I was a quaterback in high school, so I have been hit before,” Jones said. “It’s not a fear of mine becuase I know it is part of the game.”