University of Washington cornerback Sidney Jones was viewed as a first-round draft pick before suffering a torn Achilles tendon at the school’s Pro Day. That injury tanked his draft stock, but he’s not wasting time feeling sorry for himself.
Jones said on PFT Live that he’s committed to recovering from his injury and reaching a point where no one even remembers he was the guy who got hurt while working out for NFL teams.
“That was a big turning point in my time in this draft process,” Jones said. “It’s very unfortunate but you can’t do anything about it at this point. Just get the surgery, do the rehab and move forward. I should be back to normal in no time. It’s just a minor bump in the road that I have to overcome and I will overcome. It’s been kind of tough, a little bit, but there’s nothing God puts you through that you can’t handle. That’s been my mentality so far.”
Jones acknowledged that he expects his draft stock to drop and that he’ll therefore make less money on his rookie contract. But he’s looking on the bright side.
“I’m going to be in the NFL, which is my dream,” he said. “My dream is still going to come true, I’m still going to be able to play ball, do what I love.”
Jones said he expects to be running by June and able to play as soon as September, and the teams he has talked to are expecting him to play as a rookie. The draft process hasn’t gone the way Jones hoped, but that doesn’t mean Jones’ rookie season won’t be a good one.
