Trevor LawrenceSpringfield State Journal- Register
Springfield natives Bobby Haley Jr. and Al Jones are prime examples of it being OK to dream big.
Both were strong basketball players in the city — Haley at Southeast High School and Jones at Lanphier — and now they are living their dreams in law enforcement in a pair of high-profile jobs.
Haley is a sergeant for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and works security for the WNBA's Indiana Fever.
Jones works for the Illinois State Police, protecting the state's constitutional officers, including the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general.
Change of plans
Haley wanted to be an accountant until he redirected his interest in the 11th grade.Jones did an internship with the sheriff’s office and switched from an interest in law to the criminal justice program between his junior and senior years at Tennessee Tech University.
They both agreed they didn’t want to sit at a desk eight hours a day.
“I’d rather not be stuck in the office reading contracts all day,” Jones said. “I would rather be out because every day is different. That’s what was exciting for me. When I was on (police) patrol, that was one of my favorite things, interacting with people.”
Haley, a 2008 Southeast graduate, went to Western Illinois and earned a justice administration degree with a minor in sociology. He did an internship with the Springfield Police Department for 1½ years, but it wasn’t easy, he said.
“When I was at the Illinois State Police Academy, there were a couple of times that I wanted to quit,” Haley said. “I’m just glad that I didn’t because now I am where I am. I was around 21 years old, and didn’t know how to shave.”
“I got yelled at about every day for not shaving. Itwas like having Southeast coach (Lawrence) Thomas there. Coach T was tough and if I could deal with him, I could deal with anything. It was rough and I was not ready for that at all, but I grew up a lot.”
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Haley and Jones greetedeach other in Chicago during a Sky-Fever game this season. Jones was working security for the lieutenant governor.
“I looked up to him because he was a year older than me,” Haley said of Jones. “When I had questions, he helped me get through some of the struggles I might’ve had.”
After graduating from Lanphier in 2007, Jones played basketball at Lincoln College for one season and garnered interest from several Missouri Valley Conference schools before transferring to Division I Tennessee Tech.
He was a consistent starter for the Golden Eagles during his junior and senior seasons and said he could’ve played overseas, but focused on his education instead.
“I was a late bloomer at Lanphier, and I played baseball growing up,” said Jones, who averaged about 11 points and seven rebounds for Lincoln College. “I started playing basketball in the sixth grade and then started again (during high school).I was still learning my body and learning the game. I’m happy either way, looking back on how things turned out.”
This is Jones’ 13th year in law enforcement. He’s lived in Chicago since 2013 with his wife, Terez, also a Lanphier graduate. They have two kids, Trey and Noah.
“Going into it, I didn’t know what to expect,” Jones said. “I didn’t know what the opportunities were. I love Chicago, and the only thing I don’t care about Chicago is the traffic and the weather.
“I was born in Springfield and raised in Memphis, but Chicago feels like home to me. I love what I do. I’ve been to (Washington) D.C. several times and out of the country to Finland, Amsterdam and France all through the job. It’s rewarding in that respect.”
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Up close and personal
What really changed Haley’slife was when he went to see Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers play the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.
“I saw the officers on the court and thought it would be cool to do that,” Haley said. “Then the (Indianapolis) police department happened to be hiring for the first time in five or six years, and I applied and got a job.”
During that time, Haley reconnected with his soon-to-be wife, Camille; both went to Butler Elementary School. The married couple have two kids, Camryn and Robert III. Camille is an elementary school principal.
Haley has been with the department for 10 years and was promoted to sergeant in 2022. His excitement for the job has hit an all-time high since being hired to work for the Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
He first worked conventions and concerts before getting the team security job for the Fever this year. Haley works the floor during shootarounds and travels with the team, including going to public events. Haley has also seen Lanphier great Kevin Gamble, who works for the Toronto Raptors as a head scout.
“It’s just like a glorified security guard,” said Haley, who is also responsible for breaking up possible altercations with the teams. “At first, I didn’t have a close relationship with the players, but now I feel like I'm pretty cool with them and can talk and joke around with them a little bit.”
Haley covets the fact that he gets to seerising women's basketball superstar Caitlin Clark and star teammate Aliyah Boston, while also being overwhelmed on the job at times.
“It gets really crazy; they are like rock stars,” Haley said. “I went to Los Angeles and the crowd all cheered for (Caitlin). They want autographs (from her). Even more than LeBron James or Steph Curry, she beats them all (in popularity), and it’s literally every game. Every game is sold out.”
In addition, Haleywatches the best women’s basketball players in the world, including the Sky’s Angel Reese, a rival of the Fever.
“It’s very intense and it’s always a good game and close game,” Haley said. “I love the way Caitlin plays with her fast pace and Angel Reese with her hustle. She’s a great rebounder.
“I love basketball and was a junior varsitycoach for (Southeast) for two years. “I kind of feel like I’m back in that field. I get to listen to them during shootarounds and listen to the coach talk X’s and O's. I get paid to do this and I love it. I appreciate that part because I feel like I would do this job for free.
“I’ve seen women players I didn’t even know about, like Jewell Lloyd from Seattle. I had no idea who she was until she gave us like 30 (points). There are a lot of good players and it’s hard to get drafted because there are only like 10 teams.”
Haleyand Jones had a pair of parting shots to inspire others while continuing their bucket list goals for the future.
“I just want kids to know that you can do a lot in this field,” Haley said. “Hopefully when I retire one day, I would like to get on an NBA team or run my own team security — that’s my end goal.”
Jones said, “It’s okay to dream."
“As the saying goes, ‘If you dream it and think it, you can achieve it,’” he said. “I was a big dreamer growing up in places where we didn’t have much. I always wanted to make something of myself whether that was through basketball or something else. I always dreamed of living on the west side of Springfield or living out in the suburbs or whatever. Just thinking about that kept me on track of the goal. It doesn’t stop and until this point, I aspire to do other things.”
Contact Trevor Lawrence: 788-1548, trevor.lawrence@sj-r.com.
