Special teams is family tradition for ‘fearless’ Boise State newcomer with Bronco blood

Former Boise State wide receiver Tim Gilligan finds it hard to articulate what it means to him to be a daily part of his nephew’s life again.

He said describing it as special just doesn’t cut it.

“It’s still kind of surreal,” Gilligan said. “It won’t really sink in until I see him in pads.”

Gilligan played at Boise State from 2000 to 2003. He met Cooper Jones for the first time on The Blue when Gilligan’s sister brought her newborn son to Boise from Elko, Nevada, for a game. He said he’ll always cherish memories of his little nephew waddling around in his No. 87 jersey.

Now Jones is not only suiting up at Gilligan’s alma mater, but also living with him in Boise. Jones joined the Broncos in June after four seasons at Utah State and one at Butte College in California.

“It’s awesome to see him come home each day sore and have him asking questions and being a sponge about Boise State’s culture,” Gilligan said.

Jones said he always dreamed of playing on the same field that his uncle spent so much time on, and he’s hoping to make the most of the final season of his college career.

“This has been my dream since I was born,” Jones said Wednesday. “It means a lot to me, but it’s bigger than just me. It’s huge for my family and the whole community in Elko, because everybody is Boise State fans down there.”

Jones said he was ready to hang up his cleats after not seeing the field very often last season at Utah State. He was even closer to calling it a career after his son, Miles, was born earlier this year.

He said everything changed when he got the news that special teams coordinator Stacy Collins was leaving Penn State and returning to Boise State. Collins was on Andy Avalos’ staff in 2021 and spent the past two seasons with the Nittany Lions.

Collins recruited Jones to Utah State in 2020. He said he jumped at the opportunity to coach him again after Jones reached out this summer asking if he needed a return man at Boise State.

“He does a great job as a consistent kick and punt returner,” Collins said Monday. “He’s a hard-working kid, and I’m excited to see what he can do.”

Jones said he’ll always be thankful to Collins for giving him a shot at Utah State, and he’s excited to have another chance to play for a coach who takes special teams so seriously.

“It fires me up because I’ve always been a special teams guy,” Jones said. “It’s a huge part of the game, but for a lot of people, they get up from the TV or go get a drink when the special teams units are on the field. Here, you better stay in your seat, because something special is about to happen.”

Jones made a name for himself as a return man at Utah State. In 2022, he played in all 13 games as the Aggies’ primary punt returner and averaged 6.6 yards per return, which ranked No. 2 in the Mountain West and No. 32 in the nation. He was also one of Utah State’s top kick returners.

Gilligan knows a thing or two about returning punts. He fielded 117 of them during his Boise State career, returned one for a touchdown as a senior and averaged a career-high 14 yards per return in 2002. He also returned punts for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League in 2004 and ‘05.

Gilligan said his nephew has what it takes to be a great returner.

“He’s fearless,” said Gilligan, a wide receiver who caught 101 passes for 1,670 yards and eight touchdowns in his Boise State career. “He knows this is his chance to contribute to the team and he’s not going to waste it.”

Who will be the starting QB? It’s just one of 3 big questions for Boise State on offense

In search of returners

Collins addressed the Boise State football team Monday to get across the point that special teams will not be an afterthought as long as he’s around.

“What happens is a lot of coaches say, ‘You can go play special teams if you’re not good enough to start on offense or defense,’” he said. “There are 41 starting jobs on special teams if you take away the kicker, punter and long snapper. If we want to be the team we think we can be, we have to be extremely competitive in all of those positions, and whoever has the skill set to helps us win is going to play.”

That includes starters. Running back Ashton Jeanty, who is a potential Heisman candidate, and wide receiver Latrell Caples were fielding punts Wednesday in the Broncos’ first practice of fall camp. Jones, cornerback Dionte Thornton, and wide receivers Chase Penry and Cameron Bates were also in the punt return group.

Jones, running back Kaden Dudley, wide receiver Kayden Chan and cornerback Davon Banks were working on kickoff returns, Collins said.