Several factors led to one final decision for Jones

Arthur Jones had a decision to make: enter the NFL draft or return to Syracuse for his final season of college football.

It was a matter of money versus family and school pride.

"It was the toughest decision of my life," he said.

Then Jones, the son of a pastor, said God, Orange head coach Doug Marrone and his mother came calling.

"I talk to (my dad) three or four times a week," Jones said. "He drops a couple scriptures on me and tells me to go out there and have fun."

But that didn't necessarily help him make the decision to return to Syracuse for his senior season. That came straight from the man upstairs with some help from Jones's mother.

Jones was working out in preparation for the NFL combine when he tore his right pectoral muscle benching 405 pounds. If he had declared for the draft prior to that, he expected his worth would have plummeted to a seventh-round draft pick. But he didn't, and he credits God with that.

"It was a blessing," Jones said. "I really believe God has a plan for me."

It still didn't completely end his desire to enter the draft. After all, greed is one of the seven deadly sins, and the money the NFL promised made Jones hesitate. That's where his mother came in.

"I promised my mom I would stay and finish up with school," he said.

He also had the unique opportunity to play with his brother Chandler, who was on Syracuse's roster last year as a freshman but didn't play in any games.

"I promised her I'd play one game with Chandler," Jones said.

Said Chandler: "When he was making the decision, I asked him, 'Are you going to do the best thing for you?' I wasn't starting then. I told him, 'Hey, I'm going to (work hard) to be starting.'"

One more piece needed to fall into place for Jones to fully commit, and it came after a conversation with Marrone.

"I wanted to leave the program a winner," Jones said. "I sat down with Marrone, and we were on the same page and had the same vision. I felt incomplete.

"We talked just about how he wants the team to win. He's a Syracuse guy and wants to win and no one could want it more than a guy who went here. His passion won me over."

And so the first-team All-Big East honoree, who ranks sixth all-time on Syracuse's career tackles for loss list, returned.

Despite Syracuse's two losses to start the season, Jones said being on the field with his brother has been an incredible experience.

"I get to yell at him, celebrate with him," Jones said. "It's funny to watch him."

So funny to watch the 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive end, that Jones gave him a nickname.

"We call him Gumby," he said. "I just started calling him that because he's long and tall."

The enjoyment is mutual.

"It's been great," Chandler said. "I'll look over the side and see my brother and we don't even have to communicate. I just look at him and he knows. It's very exciting."

Said Arthur: "It's a beautiful thing."

PAULUS THE STUDENT

The first thing quarterback Greg Paulus does when he gets done playing football is watch himself play football.

It's not a narcissistic thing. It's a learning thing.

"I'm trying to develop a habit of staying up in the pocket," he said. "It's a combination (of my play) and coach has experience with (New Orleans Saints quarterback) Drew Brees. I watch film on those and see that I could have stayed with this read longer or let this play develop longer. Whenever I'm watching the game, those are some of the things I'm looking at."

This squeezed is included with a full class schedule in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Paulus doesn't yet know what he will do with any of it.

"A passion of mine is to be a basketball coach, work in business, broadcast. I don't know what direction it's going in," he said. "I haven't looked past the football season. Right now, that's the only thing I care about."

PROVO BACK IN ACTION

Starting tight end Nick Provo injured his shoulder in the first half of Syracuse's first game with Minnesota Sept. 5. He did not return and did not play the following week against Penn State.

Provo has been practicing this week, but was not listed on the pregame depth chart. Marrone said Provo would be back in the lineup come game time, however.

Injured linebacker Ryan Gillum also returned to practice this week, but is unlikely to play in Saturday's game.

Daniel J. Cassavaugh covers Syracuse football for the Times. You may reach him at dcassavaugh@wdt.net.