PITTSFORD — In his three years as the Niagara University point guard, Anthony Nelson has thrown passes to a half dozen players who would go on to play professional basketball overseas.

A decade ago, Nelson was feeding the ball to a future pro football player.

Donald Jones, an undrafted rookie receiver trying to make the Buffalo Bills roster, was a teammate of Nelson’s at Hubbard Middle School in Plainfield, N.J. They would go on to attend the same high school, though by the time Nelson, who is a year younger than Jones, got there, Jones had stopped playing basketball.

“He lived right by me,” Nelson said last week by phone from Plainfield. “I live in one complex and he lives on the other side.”

“We’re cool,” Jones said after a recent training camp practice at St. John Fisher College. “When we go home, we’ll see each other at the high school games.”

Nelson and Jones both proudly represent their home city, which also produced the eighth overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, and the 14th pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Phoenix Suns forward Earl Clark, not to mention funk pioneer George Clinton.

“Plainfield is a small town (pop. 48,000), but there is a lot of talent,” Nelson said. “When someone makes it big, everybody is behind them.”

Nelson was excited to learn Jones had a chance to get drafted in the spring, and was thrilled when he found out he was picked up by Bills.

Jones, of course, was even happier.

“It was crazy when I got the call from the Bills,” he said. “It’s hard to explain.”

Coming out of high school, Jones was highly recruited, receiving scholarship offers from Wisconsin and Temple, and being told by other schools that an offer would be forthcoming once he met the NCAA Clearinghouse requirements.

“I didn’t do what I was supposed to do in high school,” Jones said, “so I had to go to junior college.”

While playing for Lackawanna (Pa.) Community College, Jones competed on the Erie Community College field across the street from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

“When we first got there, I looked across the street and wondered if I’ll ever play in that stadium, or a stadium like that,” Jones said.

Jones committed to attend Ole’ Miss after junior college, but when coach Ed Orgeron was fired, he wound up at Youngstown State, a top program in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA).

In his first year at Youngstown, Jones caught 31 passes and scored seven touchdowns. As a senior captain, he set a school record with 77 receptions and produced 700 yards and six touchdowns.

He then became the first Youngstown player since Ron Jaworski in 1972 to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

“He’s a real big name on campus,” Jones said. “I met him one time at our spring game. I kind of hear that he was talking about me on Monday Night Football, but I didn’t get to hear it.”

At the Senior Bowl, Jones met with Bills head coach Chan Gailey and receivers coach Stan Hixon.

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Jones had an impressive showing at the scouting combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, bench pressing 225 pounds 20 times, and performing a 41-inch vertical leap.

Jones, who missed Tuesday’s final training camp practice because of a personal issue, came into camp as a long shot to make the final 53-man roster. But with fellow rookie Marcus Easley going on injured reserve and James Hardy sidelined with an injury, Jones’ chance of becoming a Bill has increased.

“With the injuries, us young receivers were given an opportunity to show what we can do,” Jones said. “We just have to make the most of it when we get on the field.”

Today the Bills resume practices on One Bills Drive, where offseason workouts were also held. When he reported for rookie minicamp in May, Jones looked across the street at ECC’s field and said to himself: “Wow. This is the next step.”

Contact reporter Jonah Bronstein at jonah.bronstein@niagara-gazette.com