INDIANAPOLIS – Before he signed with Ohio State in 2014, Jamarco Jones nearly decided to go to Michigan State instead.
His friendship with Brian Allen was a big reason why.
Although Allen decided to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and play for the Spartans, while Jones ultimately decided to play for the Buckeyes, the two offensive linemen from Illinois never let playing for rival Big Ten schools get in the way of their friendship.
To the contrary, Allen even made offseason trips to Columbus, and Jones to East Lansing, to hang out with each other at their rival schools.
While their two teams were highly competitive with one another before and during their collegiate careers – with Ohio State winning three of four games against Michigan State over the past four years, but the Spartans spoiling the Buckeyes’ national championship hopes in 2015 – they even went as far as to help each other succeed against other Big Ten teams.
"We would still talk throughout the year, especially when we were playing common opponents in the Big Ten, we would share notes and things like that, so we’ve always kind of had that bond," Jones said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Allen and Jones felt like their friendship with the hand in hand that Ohio State and Michigan State have for each other despite trying to beat each other each year.
"The thing with us and Ohio State, there’s a mutual respect," Allen said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. "We always play each other tough, and each time we play them, we know the other guys are going to come ready to play. And I think that’s something that makes us respect each other a little bit more."
Now, Allen and Jones – who also trained with each other despite playing for different schools in high school – have been training with each other once again, as part of former Ohio State center LeCharles Bentley’s O-Line Performance program in Arizona, in preparation for the NFL Scouting Combine, where each of them are set to participate in on-field workouts on Friday morning.
"It’s just crazy how things circle back around," Jones said of being able to train with Allen again. "It’s kind of funny, because we did the same thing in high school, and now we’re doing it again going into this next stage."
Allen, who was a three-year starter for the Spartans at center and guard, also had the opportunity to work with another Buckeye at the East-West Shrine Game in January, where he spent much of his time snapping the ball to former Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett, who is also participating in this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.
Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett taking snaps from Michigan State center Brian Allen as the first practice of East-West Shrine Game week begins. pic.twitter.com/LzLvzqP8wD
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) January 15, 2018
"That was my first chance to really get to be around him and get to know him, and a cool experience," Allen said.
Jones, Ohio State’s starting left tackle for the past two years, and Barrett, who became Ohio State’s winningest quarterback in school history over the past four years, certainly set their sights on beating Michigan State for the past four years. Allen surely did the same with Ohio State. But now that they are all preparing to take the next step in their football careers, those Buckeyes and Spartans can root for each other to succeed as well as themselves.
