Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones has been rewarded with a long-term contract extension. Earning this extension didn’t come easy, with lots of trials and hard work along the way, well before he arrived in Kansas City. During Monday’s press conference, Jones took some time to reflect on his journey so far.
“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. It was a two-seater, it came from her living room, 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. When you go back and look at those times and reminisce and it makes you really grateful for this.”
Jones has come a long way from the two-seater couch in his grandmother’s living room. As a professional, Jones has already achieved so much in his career. He led the Chiefs in sacks during the 2018 season. He’s been selected to the Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro. He became a world champion with the Super Bowl LIV win. Now he finally is rewarded with the big payday It begs the question: What’s next for Chris Jones?
Right now, the 26-year-old pass rusher is focused on achieving new heights that he hasn’t yet reached in his NFL career.
“New Heights” – my focus https://t.co/nBwfrsWP18
— Chris Jones (@StoneColdJones) July 22, 2020
“For me, nothing changes,” Jones said. “It’s all about being the best I can be. It’s all about being the sack leader, winning Defensive Player of the Year. I’m always pushing myself to new heights. It’s one of the check marks on my journey. This is not the end of my journey, but this is just the beginning.”
Each achievement acts as a waypoint on Jones’ path to a Hall of Fame career. This isn’t just about padding the stat sheet for Jones, it’s about creating a legacy with Chiefs and the NFL. Jones also gets to do something that he’s truly passionate about and has fun doing — a dream job — if you will.
“I’m thankful I’m able to stay with the Chiefs, build a dynasty, create something special,” Jones continued. “But for me, it’s all about having a Hall of Fame career, getting a gold jacket. If somebody told me I could choose $20 million or 20 sacks, I’d choose the sacks every day. That’s just where my mind is, where my heart is. Give me sacks, winning championship rings. Having fun, enjoying the process. That’s where I’m at right now. The money, it’s good to be financially stable to where I can give my kids and my family things that I wasn’t fortunate to have when I was coming up, but for me, the game is bigger than just financial. It’s my passion. It’s what I love to do, and I want to get the gold jacket.”
As of late, Jones has been quite the predictor of the Chiefs’ success, making promises and cashing them in. He also challenges and sets similar goals for himself on the regular. That way he avoids complacency and continues achieving and competing at the highest level.
“I put that pressure on myself every year, so I can challenge myself,” Jones said. “Set challenges for me, to compete at the highest level. That’s where my head is at, whether I got a contract or not. That doesn’t change my position or where I stand my goals or ambitions when it comes to this game. My goal is to wear a gold jacket when I finish this game, and that’s where I’m headed. I don’t care about money. Thank God for the money. It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing to get this contract, but my ultimate goal is to be a Hall of Famer. That doesn’t change anything.”
Sit back and watch, Chiefs Kingdom. We could be witness to a Hall of Fame career in the making.
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