By Conor Nicholl

Current Wichita Southeast sophomore Kyng Jones attended a football camp in junior high. Jones still remembers the lessons from Breece Hall, a standout running back for Wichita Northwest.

As a sophomore, Hall was 5-foot-10 and 160-pounds with zero varsity carries. Hall then rushed for consecutive 2,000-yard seasons at Northwest, though was lightly recruited. He went to Iowa State, twice earned All-American and was an NFL second round pick this spring. He’s now up to 6-foot-1, 220-pounds.

“It really impacted me,” Jones said. “Because at the time, it was only my first real time taking football serious, and him teaching me like how he runs and me applying it to my game, just made me feel good.”

Jones, the youngest of 10 siblings, has looked to follow Hall’s example of hard work and leadership. The 5-foot-5, 160-pound Jones missed time with injury as a freshman on an 0-9 squad in Marcus Bagley’s inaugural season.

Jones carries around a 3.5 GPA and enjoys math. He looks to have at least five touchdowns and 400 total yards this fall as a running back/slot receiver. Jones didn’t reach the end zone as a freshman.

Around football and studies, Jones often works six to seven hour shifts at a local Freddy’s on the weekend. In the weight room, Jones has benched around 170-pounds. He normally lifted three to four times a week this summer. Jones ran track last spring.

Bagley said Jones is never late, encourages others and constantly “being the example for teammates.”

“Kyng is another kid that has contributed to the culture change here at Southeast, which has us excited about the direction this team is going and the leaders we have unfolding in place,” Bagley said.

Jones has tutored some of teammates. He has let players use his equipment when they forgot theirs at home. Jones said he’s paying it forward after others did similarly for him in the past.

“We are a football team,” Jones said. “I want to make a family and everything, and if you need any help, I am going to help you out.”