Hill: He’s the guy Lane Kiffin called to make Ole Miss a football power. And he lives in Collierville.
Walker Jones lives in Collierville and is the Executive Director of the Grove Collective. (Courtesy Conrad Ebner)
Walker Jones is one of the most influential figures in shaping the business of modern college athletics. And he happens to live in Collierville.
Jones, who grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, was a four-year starter at linebacker for the Rebels in the 1990s under coach Tommy Tuberville. Three decades later, he is executive director of The Grove Collective, a for-profit LLC that manages name, image, and likeness opportunities for Ole Miss student-athletes.
Once a controversial position to hold, Jones’ efforts to create the collective made him a trailblazer in how NCAA Division I universities recruit and compensate talent today. The journey has helped lift Ole Miss football to new ground as one of the nation’s top programs, but it also placed him in the crosshairs of the sport’s leadership.
This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.
Topics
Walker Jones NIL Ole Miss Football college football Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Drew Hill
Drew Hill covers the Memphis Grizzlies and is a top-10 APSE winner. He has worked throughout the South writing about college athletics before landing in Memphis.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.