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KEARNEY, Neb. — When Reagan Jones entered the transfer portal last winter, he didn’t know where he’d play his final season of college football.

Thanks to an old connection, the Wichita native wound up in Kearney… a decision that’s enriched his life on and off the field.

“Coming here definitely changed my life a little bit," Jones said. "From the coaching staff that I wanted to play under, to the people I’ve met, to all the new friends that I have that some of them will be in my wedding.”

Head coach Ryan Held immediately targeted the quarterback when Jones left conference foe Missouri Western. The two have known each other since Held was at Nebraska and tried recruiting Jones to play defense.

Now, the veteran signal caller has a chance to help lead Held’s new squad to a winning record.

“Sometimes the stars have to align," Held said. "So it really has been a nice storyline here as we finish up this season.”

Along the way, Jones has collected some of his top football memories, including a win over perennial power Northwest Missouri State.

“It kind of showed everybody that we weren’t here to mess around," Jones said. "And then obviously the one at Missouri Western was huge for me.”

In his return to his previous school, Jones engineered a 69-yard drive that led to a game winning field goal as time expired.

“That one, it was something different. Then, obviously, it meant a lot to my family as well.”

Jones hopes to draw from his playing experience when he trades his helmet for a headset. He plans to start a career as a college coach.

“Football has a lot of life lessons," Jones said. "It’s the greatest team sport ever invented, so you get to learn a lot along the way, which I have. Instilling that on people younger than me…. Is definitely something I want to do.”

He has the endorsement of his current head coach.

“I think he’s really smart," Held said. "I think he sees the game really well, he understands concepts. He’s a really good leader. If that’s what he wants to end up doing, I think he’s got a bright future doing that.”

As he wraps up his life-changing stop in Kearney, Jones is confident in the program’s future.

“Going forward, the Lopers are here to stay and we’re going to make a big impact on the MIAA soon,” Jones said.