Early Years
Jones was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised by his mother, Deborah Jones, and his grandmother, Christine Jones. His father was killed in a robbery in 1991 at the age of 26. As a child growing up in the Sandtown neighborhood of Atlanta, he was coached by longtime Sandtown coach Gary Jones. When Jones was a freshman at West Virginia University, his grandmother died of cancer; Jones missed the only game of his three-year college career to attend her funeral. On the day of the NFL Draft, Jones wore a t-shirt that featured his grandmother's picture.
Jones attended Westlake High School, in Atlanta, Georgia. Westlake High School was considered a football powerhouse; in 2005, the school had the most alumni in the NFL with six players. In football, Jones played in the Georgia-Florida all-star game, and was selected as the conference "Player of the Year" following his senior year after totaling 120 tackles, six interceptions and 1,850 rushing yards.
In addition to his accomplishments in football, Jones also earned All-American honors in basketball and track. His basketball team won two state championships.
Read more about this topic: Adam Jones (American Football)
Famous quotes related to early years:
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)