Little did Mac Jones know a moment from his high school football days foreshadowed the start of his NFL career.
New England Patriots cornerback Shaun Wade told reporters Thursday he played on the same 7-on-7 team as Jones -- a fellow Jacksonville, Fla. native -- in high school. That's not all. Wade went on to reveal he and Jones beat a team coached by the quarterback Jones earned the Patriots' starting QB job over, Cam Newton.
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âI know his parents. His parents know my parents,â Wade said. âHe went to Bolles. I went to Trinity. Those are the top two schools in Jacksonville. Me and Mac Jones were already close. ...
"Mac is the same Mac as he is today. I feel like in the 7-on-7s playing with us he got that grit and how he acts now. I feel like that came from kind of 7-on-7s, playing with us. Macâs the same person. We used to play Cam Newtonâs team.  I remember Mac talking junk. He threw a winning touchdown in that game."
Wade, a rookie who was acquired from the Baltimore Ravens last month, added that he and Jones "have a connection," and he always has been a believer of the former Crimson Tide star and national champion.
"A lot of people doubted him when he was younger, saying not to go to âBama, but you see what he did," Wade said. "Heâs one of the best to come out of Alabama, in my opinion. I always believe in Mac.â
New England Patriots
And in case you were wondering whether Newton was made aware of his first loss to Jones, Wade says he did indeed remind the former NFL MVP of that 7-on-7 matchup.
Wade was selected by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Ohio State product was a healthy scratch in the Patriots' Week 1 loss to the Miami Dolphins.