SFA’s Quin Jones, a senior linebacker from Abbeville, Miss., is being honored on Saturday by wearing the No. 16 jersey of Cally Belcher. SFA/Athletics

NACOGDOCHES — In his second season at Stephen F. Austin, Quin Jones wants to make an impact on the Lumberjack football program before his playing days are said and done.

Opportunity will stare him in face this weekend when he will wear the jersey number of a legendary Lumberjack player who will never be forgotten.

A senior linebacker, Jones will wear jersey No. 16 — Cally Belcher’s number — when the Lumberjacks host Nicholls State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Homer Bryce Stadium.

A defensive back who was transitioning to play linebacker, Belcher collapsed near the end of a spring practice at Homer Bryce Stadium in the spring of 1994. After about a week in the hospital, Belcher died.

His jersey number was retired on Sept. 19,1994, when the Lumberjacks hosted Montana State.

“All of the words coaches use to describe a player: character, determination, courage, leadership and the love of the game, you can describe in two words — Cally Belcher,” former SFA football coach John Pearce said.

Belcher’s number has been pulled out of the trophy case for one home game each season for the last five years.

Cally’s No. 16 will be donned for the sixth time since its retirement by Jones, a senior linebacker who has collected 21 tackles in three games.

“I’ve won a lot of awards in football,” Jones said. “But this is the biggest.”

Jones received the Cally Belcher Award in the spring at the first Golden Axe Awards.

“I’ve heard how he was the leader of the team, how he made an impact on SFA,” Jones said of Belcher.

Jones (6-0, 232) was a heralded SFA signee in the spring of 2018 after he helped lead East Mississippi Community College to a 22-2 record in two seasons, including a JUCO national title in 2017.

He compiled 48 tackles as a junior during SFA’s 2-8 showing last season.

“I didn’t have the season that I was looking for,” Jones said.

Though times have been tough for the Lumberjacks — they are 2-11 in Jones’ tenure — there is still time for progress.

SFA took Southern Utah to overtime before losing 45-38 last weekend in Cedar City, Utah. Now 0-3, the challenge is great in the Southland Conference opener against Nicholls State, the preseason league favorite.

Nicholls (1-1) defeated Prairie View 42-35 last weekend after falling to the Big 12’s Kansas State 49-14 in its season opener.

Both SFA and Nicholls are looking for turnarounds on defense. They rank in the cellar in total defense in the league.

Nicholls has given up 518.5 yards per game. SFA has allowed 570.7 yards per outing and a generous 19 touchdowns, the most in the league.

SFA fell behind 17-3 to Southern Utah before fighting back and taking the lead, only to fall in extra time.

Maybe a visit from a Nicholls State team that has had some early struggles will be more inviting than intimidating.

“We believe we can knock off Nicholls,” Jones said. “We’ll get the job done this weekend. We believe in what we’re doing. We believe in the vision.”

What is clear to Jones is that he made a good choice to come to SFA.

The linebacker from Mississippi has fallen for the Lone Star State.

“I love Texas,” Jones said. “And I want to be a part of the change in culture here.”

For one game — the Cally Belcher game — Jones’ goal is to honorably fill Lumberjack jersey No 16.

Belcher is one of three former Lumberjacks who have had their number retired.

The others are the late Bum Phillips, a Lumberjack player who went on to coach in the NFL, and Mark Moseley, an SFA kicker who went on to star as a pro. He was named NFL MVP in 1982 as a member of the Washington Redskins.