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 containing the words early and/or years:
“... business training in early life should not be regarded solely as insurance against destitution in the case of an emergency. For from business experience women can gain, too, knowledge of the world and of human beings, which should be of immeasurable value to their marriage careers. Self-discipline, co-operation, adaptability, efficiency, economic management,—if she learns these in her business life she is liable for many less heartbreaks and disappointments in her married life.”
—Hortense Odlum (1892–?)
“After us they’ll fly in hot air balloons, coat styles will change, perhaps they’ll discover a sixth sense and cultivate it, but life will remain the same, a hard life full of secrets, but happy. And a thousand years from now man will still be sighing, “Oh! Life is so hard!” and will still, like now, be afraid of death and not want to die.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)