WAYCROSS, Ga – A Waycross, Georgia, football star will be on football’s biggest stage this weekend. Los Angeles Rams linebacker Ernest Jones is hoping to bring home a Super Bowl LVI win.
The Waycross community is cheering him on in a unique way.
Friday is “Ernest Jones Day” in the city and one restaurant is even naming a popular dessert after him this weekend.
Jones is beloved in Waycross.
“He is a good man and a very good hero for Waycross,” said Brenda Rolison, who is the owner of the Dairy Queen in Waycross on Screven Avenue. “This is the best thing that’s happened to Waycross in a very, very long time.”
To celebrate Jones’ in the Super Bowl, Rolison and her staff created the “Ernest Jones Blizzard.”
It has blue and gold M&M’s to match the Rams’ colors.
Rolison, who’s been the owner there for 35 years, says Jones deserves the special treatment.
“He is a very humble person,” Rolison said. “He never expected anybody to do anything special for him. He worked hard through determination.”
Several parts of the city will be decked out in Rams colors, as residents root for their hometown hero. Stacey Hunt is the restaurant’s general manager. She says cheering for Jones is an easy decision.
“All you ever hear is how humble he is, how hard-working he is and just how much he loves this community,” Hunt said.
If anything can bring a small city together, it is football. Jones is heading to the Super Bowl during his rookie season. He was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft as the 103rd overall pick. So far this season, he has 61 tackles, 36 of them solo, one sack and two interceptions.
Before going pro, Jones played college ball at the University of South Carolina. He was a standout player at Ware County High School. Rolison and Hunt wish Jones good luck as he inspires many.
“We are so proud of all of [his] hard work,” Rolison said. “We hope that you achieve your dream we hope you bring home a Super Bowl. We’re just proud.”
“Thank you for giving this community something to get behind,” Hunt said. “Something for young kids to dream for and just to know that your hard work pays off.”
The “Ernest Jones Blizzard” will be available at that Dairy Queen location on Screven Avenue through Monday.