Beyond the Flats: Roddy Jones

In this weekly feature, we’ll take a look at what Tech’s finest are up to since leaving the Institute. This week, we focus on Roddy Jones.

Known for his tight rope abilities and never say die approach on the field, Roddy Jones has quickly ascended the ranks of college football analysis. Following his playing days at Tech where he became the gold standard for A-Back play, Jones began his broadcasting career in 2014 as a color analyst for the Yellow Jackets’ radio calls. It did not take him long to get noticed, and in 2017 he moved over to ESPN to serve as a sideline reporter. He was a regular at smaller games, but his talent demanded more exposure, and soon he was covering bigger and better matchups, adding a well-researched, well-prepared aspect to their college football coverage.

Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

His next breakthrough came in 2019 with the establishment of the ACC Network, as Jones was tabbed as an analyst for the budding network. Since 2019, Jones has covered ACC games and offered weekly analysis on a plethora of shows and podcasts, becoming a featured talking head for all things ACC football. While I wish he were a bit more of a homer, I can’t fault Roddy for his quality takes and predictions. Unlike our own Joey Weaver, taking ‘Rodstradamus’ weekly picks will net you quite a bit of Van Gorder coin.

A theme for successful Georgia Tech products has been valuing education, and Roddy is no exception. After graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration, he earned his MBA at Tech as well before beginning his broadcasting career. He clearly learned a thing or two about relationships and professionalism, and has put his degrees to good use in his climb up the ranks. Look for Roddy’s star to continue to rise, for as has been the case for many a well-received ESPN talent, he is getting both quality and high volume exposure across multiple networks.

He can be found on SiriusXM channel 371 hosting “The Breakdown” with Bryant McFadden, calling games alongside longtime voice of the Yellow Jackets Wes Durham, and even has been featured on SportsCenter previewing games for ESPN. The duo was on the call for the Pitt/GT game a couple weeks back, and this past weekend was on the broadcast for the Miami/North Carolina game.

It brings me great joy and pride to see a Legend of the Flats earning opportunity and running with it. For Jones, this is nothing new. I will always remember him for the 2008 Georgia game, (not least because I had a ticket to the game but overslept), but it is clear that Jones intends to be more than a GT folk hero and is carving out quite the lane for himself.

Follow Roddy at @RoddyJones20 on Twitter for more info and to stay up to date with his latest goings on.