His little brother is a mixed martial arts fighter and his littlest brother is a 6-foot-6 behometh of a defensive end. But Arthur Jones is still sure he’s stronger than either.

“Oh yeah I can take them,” Syracuse’s 6-3, 295-pound senior defensive tackle said. “I’m the oldest brother. There’s psychological power in that.”

There’s power in just about everything Arthur Jones is – and does. He’s a senior captain, who’s playing to some of the biggest crowds in his five-year career, for a team with some of the most promise. He anchors a defense that shut down mighty Penn State’s run game. He has a smile that Syracuse Post-Standard columnist Bud Poluquin compared to Julia Roberts’ and Magic Johnson’s – and then said that Jones made that pair’s grins look like “broken windows.”

“Wow, that was nice of him,” Jones said when I repeated the line. (Apparently, he doesn’t read the sports section of newspapers.)

Jones played every game as a redshirt freshman, he had 17.5 tackles for loss while starting 11 games as a sophomore and last year, he started 12 games, had 60 tackles, was much more vicious in his 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage (he racked up 60 lost yards) and he earned a spot on the All-Big East first team. He was an obvious choice to leave for the NFL. Until Doug Marrone was hired.

“Just having a guy who’s an alumni makes such a difference,” he said of what ultimately became an obvious choice to stay. “I felt incomplete because we hadn’t won. And the NFL isn’t going anywhere.”

Then, as these things tend to happen, it became the most fortuitous of decisions. In February, Jones tore his pectoral muscle in a freakish weight room mishap (“I was trying to lift the whole weight room,” he laughed). Instead of missing the combine, he rehabbed. Marrone said he was wholly impressed with how hard Jones worked, if only, he joked, because defensive linemen tend to sometimes get squishy when they’re hurt. (Marrone, it’s worth mentioning, was an offensive lineman.) Marrone also said he trusts Jones so much, he has him playing nearly 100 percent of the Orange’s snaps and there’s good reason the 23-year old Endicott, N.Y. native is already being talked about as one of the top five defensive linemen in this year’s upcoming draft. Jones called NFL talk “a huge distraction” and said it was something to think about later. Of course, with the fun he’s having now, why rush anything?

So, without further ado, Arthur Jones…

One thing I don’t do enough of is… “sacking the quarterback.”

Best thing I cook is… “steak.”

I hate when people say… “I can’t.”

Best pre-game song is… “a little Kelly Clarkson.”

Song I don’t want to admit is on my iPod… “YMCA.”

My teammates envy my… “smile.”

I hate playing at… “nowhere. I’ll play anywhere.”

My high school mascot was…”a tiger.”

My most creative date was… “at the park.”

My Guitar Hero song is… “Eye of the Tiger.”

My DVR is full of… “football games.”

If I didn’t play football, I’d… “wrestle.”

Easiest position in football is… “the snapper. Definitely.”

Mama always says… “Get up.”

My best color is…”Orange.”

Commercial I could star in… “Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.”

Favorite Halloween costume was… “a baby. I dressed up as a baby last year.” (Ed. I asked for a picture. Arthur said no.)

The non-Syracuse Big East player I’d want on my team is… “George Selvie.”

My advice to Coach Marrone is… “keep doing what you’re doing.”

Previous Keep it Briefs: Louisville LB Jon Dempsey, Pitt TB Dion Lewis