Chris Jones Reflects On His Humble Beginnings and Path to the NFL
Before defensive tackle Chris Jones made a name for himself as one the premier pass rushers in the NFL, the Houston, Mississippi, native had humble beginnings.
Jones said in a video conference with reporters after he signed his deal that he was able to reflect on his path to the league and how he got to where he was today. But what meant the most to Jones?
“The hard work that I actually put in to get here, where I’m at today,” Jones said. “Actually, thinking about sleeping on a two-seater couch. That’s the first thing I did when I signed the deal, I called my grandmother and we actually talked about me sleeping on her living room couch.”
Jones was considered a five-star recruit at Houston High School where he played for the Hilltoppers. He regarded as one of the top players of his recruitment class as Jones committed to Mississippi State out of high school.
“It came from her living room,” Jones said about the couch he would sleep on at his grandma’s house. “It was so old, so we put it in her dining room and got a new living room set and that was my bed for the end of my junior year and my senior year of high school, I slept on a couch, and we just talked and cried about it.”
Now, Jones is set to make a guaranteed $60 million over three years with a non-guaranteed fourth year worth $20 million, plus $5 million in added incentives.
“When you go back and look at those times and reminisce, it makes you really grateful for this,” Jones said.
