WR Jones Overcomes Heartbreak to Make the Jets
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Doug Pensinger/Getty Images(FLORHAM PARK, N.J.) — After walking away from football to care for his dying son in 2012, receiver Dwight Jones is back.
Jones had a workout with the New York Jets Tuesday and was signed Wednesday to the team’s practice squad.
Jones originally joined the NFL in 2012 after the Houston Texans signed him as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina. But before Jones could even take the training camp field, he made a decision to leave football.
“The reason why I left Houston (was) because my son (Deizean) was sick, and he passed away. A lot of people don’t know the situation with my son and things like that. He was born real sick, a lot of medical conditions,” Jones said. “I tried to play football, but it just didn’t feel right. It was the worst feeling of my life. The feeling was God was just wanting me to spend the last moments with my son.”
Which is what Jones did until the 22-month-old Deizean passed away last July.
After that the 6-foot-3, 230 pound Jones kept receiving interest to play football. He decided to play for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, but because the Texans held his rights he couldn’t play in Canada.
Eventually Jones was released by the Texans which leads us to the present.
After multiple workouts that led to nothing, the man who once declared himself “the next Andre Johnson” made a team. Jones said after his workout with the Jets, he walked into a bathroom, dropped to his knees and thanked God for another chance to fulfill his NFL dream.
“My son died and I feel like a part of me is gone, but it makes me stronger,” Jones said. “It makes me want to do it for him.”
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