Jack Jones NFL free agent, redemption in football journey, Snoop’s guidance & self-belief| The Pivot

Jack Jones NFL free agent, redemption in football journey, Snoop’s guidance & self-belief| The Pivot

we doing all right on the kicks this this show no he Hey look at you i know what you looking at man i’m a pocket watcher boy you are Look at them chains now man don’t you can’t tuck them in hey you know you from Cali man he going to tuck mine he can’t He can’t tuck his like red on Friday you can’t tuck those big Po going to see them man limitless guy pinning it i found the head here to witness it got my people feeling militant way I’m feeling got me up on a mission got me up knowing me i got the key on this vision i can trust trust limitless [ __ ] it witness it my people feeling militant zack Jones man welcome to the show this is Fred Taylor this is Shannon Crow i’m Ryan Clark the pivot fam thank you for pivoting with us this one super cool for me man jordan adores you you know man just his opportunity to play with you at ASU watch you every day you know he used to be like pop sometime Jack Jack he don’t even use the right foot to break you know what I mean he just always talked about man how talented you are obviously me and Antonio AP Antonio Pierce are really close he has a great affinity for you i actually got to go to the BET Awards right and Snoop got the icon award right that is someone who was close to you or someone you were around growing up played in the league obviously there at the same high school was able to see you what’s it like man growing up in Cali having somebody like Snoop give back to the community the way he does and to be a part of that i think that was a good thing i I was one of those guys who played in the Snoop Youth Football League he had shouted it out at the BET Awards so when he shouted out you know I felt that but I think Snoop helped out a lot of guys you know when he said he I think he said 49 was the number 49 guys that made it to the NFL you know that that’s big you know cuz he he changing a lot of kids life and he doing it in in a tough slash rough area you know what I’m saying so it’s like well without that I mean I don’t know what it’ll look like and then you got an icon like Snoop who’s whose face all over the internet face all over your phone you know what I’m saying and and he’s right there you know you can go up talk to him at the games you know he’s cool he’s approachable so it’s like for you to have that for me to have that it was it was a blessing you know what I’m saying and now that I’m older I see that looking back you know I I don’t take that for granted like you say having that OG that can watch out for you but you kind of said it but how getting out of there getting out of there but also getting the mindset out of there cuz when you look at your story you got some stuff i got I got locked up four times like it is what it is but just getting out of that mindset of coming from nothing and moving to something and having somebody like Snoop or just having a bigger picture about yourself you you got people like Snoop in your life that’s that’s going to be the example but it’s honestly up to you to make the decision you know which way you want to go cuz you know nobody’s controlling this the decisions you make behind closed doors so I think it was me man i just locked in and I I just made the decision like you know this is what I want to do you know this is the direction I want to go and I don’t want to be a street dude quote unquote you know what I’m saying i want to play football long Beach probably has a long list of legendary guys that have made it to the to the to the big level like trying to avoid the pitfalls of being on the streets like looking at those guys how did that motivate or influence you to kind of steer clear in a positive direction i had a great example before my time and it’s my uncle you know what I’m saying i I kept hearing stories about my uncle like story like crazy stories like man your uncle was the best football player to ever touch poly man your uncle was better than you man you can’t even see your uncle your uncle had offer you know what I’m saying I’m hearing stories like that all the time so and but but they at the same time they telling me these stories they like you know but your uncle chose this route don’t be like your uncle look then I got friends that you know what I’m saying that’s doing that so it’s like that that’s also another example but I would really say my uncle man I kept hearing it from a young age like don’t be like your uncle you know what I’m saying So I just try to keep my head straight right jack before you got to ASU in between leaving USC Yeah what was that time for you and kind of how difficult was it to take care of yourself while waiting for that next opportunity it It was tough it was tough cuz uh I I never been in a situation like that obviously I come from rough times Long Beach and all that stuff but you know when I hit high school um and and really got to playing football you know I I started to get noticed pretty quick so you know I started to rise pretty quick so when I got to SC in my head I was on top of the world you know what I’m saying and you know it it was all it all ended quick and I I don’t know that that Jo situation it just I don’t know it humbled me you know what I’m saying it humbled me it made me open my eyes like that this is a privilege and it could be taken away any moment what was that time like though in between being kicked out of USC and going to ASU like how difficult was it it was tough cuz I I got kicked out when I got kicked out like I said I was on top and now when I had to go back home that’s where the decisions start to come in you know what I’m saying the decision making and and in my head you know what I’m saying i I just always thought like you know my parents we got we got four kids so I don’t want to say we struggling but we not in the best situation and I know that so it was like for me to have this opportunity and then blow it on my own it was just like I just kind of felt like I couldn’t go home like and obviously my pops my moms they they never said “Nah you can’t come home.” But I was just feeling like man I didn’t want to be that dude to go home cuz they expected me as a child to to go out and take advantage of this opportunity that I had and I didn’t so but that’s why I said it was tough man and I made I made that bad decision and it almost cost me my career jack we’ve talked on this show a few times about power five versus H.B.CU like you went to the best of the best you were five-star you went to USC like the facilities probably don’t get any better across you know power five schools but then you were humbled and had to go to Moore Park College right not even H.B.C you was like right there like almost out of football like how humbling was that like describe for us like the facilities the differences no no it was really humbling cuz I couldn’t play football at JO i was straight school i had went through that little case situation so I’m walk around school with an ankle monitor on and I’m class to class study hall to study hall and back to my home that’s all it was but the reason I couldn’t play football in JO is cuz they said you can’t play two years of division one football and play your third at a jo and then go to the NFL it was some rule like that so I just had to sit out that year get my academics right and you know uh call AP you know yeah that happened i want to ask about that man antonio Pierce like I you know we had him on the show he’s one of my closest friends like he’s he is what you see right that’s who AP is what was that phone call like though when you guys started to discuss you becoming a part of ASU under Herm Edwards he asked me where I was at he was like “Uh so where you at like what you doing you know situation and everything and I told him the whole situation i’m like it’s it’s done i’m handling it and I told him I’m in school right now and then he he he connected me with like a academic advisor at ASU ever since then I just been calling the academic advisor back and forth like “Yo am I on track for this am I on track for that?” Cuz at first I was going to Houston you know I I thought I was going to Houston i you know I was talking to the coach and then one day he called me he was like “Yo we checked the transcripts and I guess something don’t match up or or you don’t have the credit something.” And then I called AP and then you know ever since then I was back and forth with the academic coach and you know made sure I I I was doing what I was supposed to but through all of that did you ever lose hope oh for sure cuz it seemed bro it seemed like a lot yeah for sure that and this you ain’t even make it to the league yet you You were 18 like And like bro football might not be the thing you know what I’m saying when did you lose hope and what what was some of those down times like honestly when I when I went to jail man when I when I sat in that cell I I I told myself I was like “Man it’s over.” Like I thought it was done i don’t know i just I I ain’t got no quit in me man but I ain’t going to act like I did it myself cuz it was times and I had conversations with you know some of my peers some of my friends like “Man I think I’m done with football.” You know I got a good circle of good friends around me and they they cut that out quick what you mean you’re done with football nah bro you You ain’t done with football you gonna keep going don’t quit on it and that’s all it really took for me because it was like I didn’t want to quit but I I just had in the back of my head i’m like damn it’s over i was telling myself negative thoughts but I didn’t let it get to me though jack that was the time that you were without a team and this is where you are now you are a free agent in the NFL uh you’re with the Raiders cut right before OTAAS what are your thoughts now right when you wake up in the morning you know you don’t have a team when you go get on the grind what’s your motivation and what’s driving you every day to still put in that work i would say the last situation I’ve been through the Jo you know the ASU all that stuff you know that just kind of molded me like I don’t even know what that is i just can’t quit like hypothetically God forbid say I don’t get a call you know I’m still not going to stop i’m still going to keep working out still try to get on the team go play UFFL XFL whatever the case may be and just keep working until I get another shot in the NFL but I’m going to keep playing football as long as my legs work jack man let’s I want to take it to a happier time man let’s go back to Christmas two years ago right we we we in Kansas City playing against the the almighty Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs uh shoot honestly man it’s it’s the play in the day that got Antonio Pierce the head coaching job bro you get the pick you’re running Patrick Mahomes is kind of chasing you and you just eyeballing him take me through that whole sequence man and when you’re running back to the end zone dog like like what is your thought so on the on the play he rolled out i seen him roll out and then if you watch the replay he kind of like floated the ball like I don’t know it wasn’t enough heat and in my head when I seen it I’m like “Oh it’s mine.” And I grabbed it when I grabbed it I was looking at him like “Don’t catch me.” But then once I got past him I I did want to say like “You can’t [ __ ] with me.” Like you know what I’m saying i want to pop my stuff but I’m like I I had too much respect for him you know what I’m saying like that that’s Patrick Mahomes like one of the greatest quarterbacks so it’s like it was just a star down like I’m here you know what I’m saying but your your your rookie year didn’t you have a pick six off of Aaron Rogers too yeah aaron Rogers yeah like what what was that moment like did you feel the same uh no on that one I was more so trying to prove myself man that was like a proving game i was in New England that was my first time starting i was just locked in i don’t know and I and I remember it was a play um before that he had ran like a fire it out and I seen it and I was like man I could have picked that like let me go get that next time and then that next time came up and I went and got it you know what I’m saying but n with the A-Rod one it I ain’t think nothing like that i was just hungry jack Jack none of those plays got to be more fun though than the screen who was the screen against chargers right you playing the Chargers right you you clearly you knew what was coming yeah but like uh the the thing I say always separates like the good players and you know he’s a great player he’ll be a Hall of Famer one day the good players and the great players is the willingness to believe what they see jack you were so far in the back field on the screen you had to turn around basically i almost over you like how you overrun a ball that’s four yards behind the line of scrimmage at corner i don’t know bro like what coverage were you in and what tipped you off that that was going to be the play what tipped me off was the motion in right when I seen the motion in I was like I gotta go get it but but what allowed me to go get it was cover two you know what I’m saying because if we was in cover three even manto man deep yeah i doubt I would have jumped it like that you know what I’m saying but we was cover two i had a safety over top i seen the motion out from in I’m like “Yeah that’s me i got to go get that.” But I was doing it so quick though like you say and that’s why I caught it with one hand i didn’t catch it with one hand intentionally like I almost overran it and I just had to re reach back and grab it and just kept going man listening to these plays bro you know picked off pick six a pick six Momes all that stuff bro picking off screens overrunning the screen which is crazy i got to go watch that play i ain’t seen that one i ain’t going to lie what’s stopping you from being on the team what’s What Why did two teams now say I can’t be there what do you need to improve on and that’s a good question i’m glad you asked that so I could express myself uh it it’s me you know what I’m saying it’s nothing else like I said before you know playing in the NFL is a privilege and if you don’t take advantage of the privilege then you’re going to lose that privilege you know in a heartbeat and and you know for all the young guys that’s out there watching I hope they they use this me as an example like this this could be going in a heartbeat no matter how good you are how talented you are but man I just can’t wait to prove myself you know looking forward to the next team like I said I’m working out every day just going hard man just ready to prove myself and show that I am who I say I am and I’m not who they think I am but you talking about on the field you can do it all oh yeah for sure you talking about you got you need somebody to believe in you off the field as well i got to I got to show before you believe so that that’s me taking that step and I’m going to take that step i’m going to do what I got to do i see similar characteristics in NAP who I love to death like just playing against him competitor seeing him coach you know rooting for him to to be successful there looking for an opportunity as well do you think him being there gave you more of a chance to kind of grow you know to become the person you are tell us a little bit about you guys’ relationship and what he truly means to you first of all let me shout out Coach Kim Monica Kim and let me shout out Antonio Pierce Coach Pierce without them too you know this whole thing probably wouldn’t even be possible you know Coach Kim was the head of of it all you know you see AP face because you know he’s the head coach but you know without Coach Kim you know AP probably wouldn’t even know who I am you know what I’m saying so shout out to Coach Kim but but AP nah man he he helped me out through it all through you know I remember one of the first conversations we have we uh I was playing DB you know this was high school we came in my junior year I was playing DB my sophomore year I played safety i played safety i was about like 140 soaking wet that’s what I’m saying at safety but I’m flying around making plays but when he seen me though he was like “Man you you’re not no corner you a receiver.” But the way he said it and me being young where I’m from I’m like “What?” Like “You don’t know who you talking to.” Like but he changed my position and he changed my life cuz that’s where all my offers came from and and and to be honest I I love I love receiver you know what I’m saying that was one of the positions but I had moved back to DB cuz it was honestly a battle between me and AP like nah bro i’m a DB i’m going to show you that I’m a DB you know what I’m saying like but nah AP mean the world to me man i I’m forever appreciative i appreciate him you know what I’m saying and everything he done and he he know what he means to me you know what I’m saying and and I thank him for everything you know Jordan talks about it ap talks about it like you are a football player yeah the way you see the game the way you see life all of those things are the sort of mentalities that make you a fivestar that put you on the field early at USC that allow you to transfer to Arizona State and make plays like we just had a running conversation about your NFL pick sixes you know I put myself on blast i ain’t got one you know what I mean i played 13 years like you are a special football player you know you mentioned it was you right you were the reason why should somebody believe that this special football player that’s always made plays that off the- field stuff have has made him switch teams why is somebody to believe that you can change that and you will change that uh it’s the dayto-day it’s about being consistent i be consistent by showing up and proving that you know what I’m saying i could I could sit here and tell you I’mma be perfect all day i can sit here and tell you I’m going to go 10 for 10 always but you know without the work without the effort without the consistency then it’s all talk you know I’m I’m mean I’m going just show show up and prove it you know what I’m saying whatever team need a corner going to give me an opportunity I’m going to show up and prove it every day you know I’m going to be the the best guy on the field i’m going to be the best guy in the film room i love that when you look back at sort of the things that made you the way you are right being from where you’re from in California like we know gang experiences are high there right gang activity is high there we know that those are places that you can get caught up in the things around you and the things that you see what was it that allowed you to avoid those things and continue playing football at a high level like you have i would say football football and and the friends you keep man that’s a real quote you know you show me your friends I show you your future you know that’s that’s that’s a real thing the friends I was with in high school you know we was all ball we all wanted the same thing we was all chasing the same thing so we all go work out every day we working out every day we just chasing football if I was with my homies that was in the streets and it was dibbling back and forth then I probably wouldn’t be here but you know like I said I made up my mind and we I hung out with the right guys and and and we got to work i was supposed to get drafted first round i was all American but I wasn’t an all-American after practice ended i really in UF Gainesville they locked me up assault and all this so I was just I was a fighter somebody say something crazy i was from Atlanta you called me a [ __ ] you got to get punched in the face now as a 41 California thing you know what I’m saying so that’s the whole thing and I told the NFL coaches I was at the combine they kind of asked me “Oh yeah why are you getting arrested so much?” I said “Coach I can’t deal with disrespect.” And through time now being 41 now I’ve been retired 12 years so now I understand what at 41 I understand what 21 year old me was thinking and I wish I could go talk to him what would you say to yourself seven eight years ago could you could you really address yourself because the trouble you talking about and the things that go and the Wikipedia stuff and the the records that shit’s always going to be on wax what would you go back and tell yourself and what is what are what are those i know I had an anger management problem and I know now they can call me a [ __ ] all day and I’ll walk away smiling you a [ __ ] have a good one Freddy i ain’t going to jump on them but in 181 19 I’m going to jump on you know what I’m saying like when you talk about like growing if you go back and talk to your 18-year-old self how could you and to be honest how can the teams know that you have grown now it’s bigger than me man i got kids depending on me man i got my girl depending on me i got family members depending on me you know what I’m saying so you know I I would just emphasize that that it’s bigger than me and and once you take I out of the equation you know that that make you go so much harder for other people for your loved ones you were drafted to a Bellich le team what did you learn from that experience because that’s a place where discipline is important that’s a place where being on time is important that’s a place where being accountable is important freddy T says it all the time you know do business as business is being done was there anything that you can go back to that experience and say “Okay going forward some of those things I learned could help me from a guy like a Bill Bich.” First of all man I I appreciate Bill man and and I thank Bill for you know taking the opportunity on me but man I just was young man i you know I wasn’t carrying myself right up out the building i don’t know just the the discipline level of it it just taught me like the stuff that’s going on outside of the building you can’t bring it to the building and I was honestly my first couple years I was having troubles with that i was having problems with that cuz it was like I’m a dude who I’m going to wear it on my sleeve if I’m mad you going to see that you know I I I learned from that situation but I definitely learned from there it’s like the stuff that happened outside is outside and the stuff that happened inside is inside you know what I’m saying but that’s just like to go with your quote like handle businesses business is being done you know and you not you ain’t got no girlfriend up at that building you know what I’m saying you ain’t got no kids at that building you know what I’m saying you ain’t got uh family members at that building when you go up there it’s football and and it’s friends and that that’s what I learned i also learned ball too though cuz Bill Bich and that whole program or whatever that they taught me ball man yeah that they they taught me ball just going from from ASU to to to New England and I I I learned a lot of football and I think that’s why I was able to have such a good year my rookie year cuz I learned a lot from Bill and Mike and in New England that’s awesome yeah i uh I learned that quote from Bill in year 12 when I was a free agent in my time in New England and I just embraced it all but as you are the NFL is a business right and as you’re sitting there waiting for another opportunity doing business as it’s being done uh what are you doing to one stay focused on that but also to keep yourself busy with maybe know something else that you have a passion for like I think music is is a big thing yeah little little bit of music man i go to the studio a little bit but I I don’t release no songs this is just you know I just go to therapy yeah yeah that’s it just go to the studio just hang out make a song or something but for the most part man I just I play the game man i get on the game play Call of Duty play NCAA play Madden play something you know what I’m saying but but but that’s my getaway zone man i I go and play the game you know stay out the streets stay at stay from outside you I’m in the house with my girl my son and I’m just on the game you playing the guitar and the piano or you got bars nah I’m I’m more of a like rapper but I ain’t But I ain’t no rapper though hey I ain’t a rapper but he’s not a rapper we all come from these different places when people are from New Orleans they’re very passionate about what New Orleans is and about what having the area code 504 means right where he’s from Belglades right he they’re very passionate about who they are you know what I’m saying atlanta’s not really as as much but like Atlanta as well what did you just say about Atlanta no I’m just joking atlanta Atlanta as well when you think about the culture of LA when you think about the sort of people that have made it out uh then also too man some of the greats from LA that we’ve lost too soon right what is it that you’re proud of about where you’re from from Long Beach i’m proud of my city that made me i don’t know proud of everything i appreciate everything cuz without that that journey then I I wouldn’t be here here today i wouldn’t have that dog I I got in me today i wouldn’t have that fight that that that relentlessness you know you know what I’m saying i I don’t know i appreciate Long Beach for everything man for the relationships I had back back at home for the teachers that said hurtful things to me you know what I’m saying and I really don’t mean this in no envious way like I really mean like I appreciate that because without without that then I I wouldn’t have made it like you know what I’m saying cuz I I still do think about some of the stuff that I I was told back in high school good and bad like you know what I’m saying but I appreciate the whole thing man i I I’m really blessed to to be in this situation coming where I’m coming from you know to have the relationships that I got man and I appreciate it all man but I I love my city it’s on me forever and I’m a forever rebel yeah i mean I think that’s dope man you know it was obviously Snoop first for for a kid from Louisiana like Snoop was like the first time I even ever heard of Long Beach like you know to to be honest and then it continues to grow and it’s become especially uh Long Beach Poly back you know a few years ago the sort of football players that they were putting out right what they do in college guys going to the league if you weren’t doing football what would and where would Jack Jones be you said that football is what kept you from the rest of it right that passion so what would you be doing if you didn’t have football i don’t even want to put it on camera you know what I’m saying it’s it’s football that’s that’s what I am i’m a football player i don’t want to talk about what what could have been or if it didn’t happen and I hate that man it’s it’s it’s football man and I’ve been playing football since just since I could walk it was no other sport you know what I’m saying it was it wasn’t soccer baseball basketball track and field never ran track and field it was football i played football football wasn’t in season we in We outside in the field playing football with some friends that stuff ain’t you know what I’m saying that stuff for the birds that’s That’s honestly man honestly there’s no better answer than that bro there is no better answer rc speaks about his his plan A or not having the plan B because he’s so tied into plan A uh which I think is great yeah uh but I do want to ask you because of you know having been released and now waiting for another opportunity going back to the uh situation from USC having to go to Jo do you think that prepared you for you know what you’re going through or experiencing now as you wait for another opportunity i’m talking about in terms of masking or minimizing the frustrations understand the patience gain and just continue to stay focused steering clear of trouble so you can get that shot absolutely cuz I I continuously tell myself to this day you know what I’m saying and I’m going keep telling myself like I’ve been here before and I ain’t breaking i ain’t going to break now you know what I’m saying so one foot in front of the other keep working and when that call happen that call happened you know what I’m saying but I don’t know i don’t want to be looking up just trying to what if and cuz you know that that is it’s too much hope and that that that had your heart beating fast you know what I’m saying too much anxiety you know what I’m saying just one foot in front of the other man just keep working head down work that car going to happen when it happen God’s time and the silver lining is I just met your you say your son was like a year and a half he going to be causing hell in about another six to eight months in the cabinets and everything the silver lining though the opportunity to spend more time at home you know you want to be in OTAAS and and all that different stuff i I get it but there’s always a positive in in these sort of moments like talk to us about you know that seeing him grow and being there right now no it is a positive being around my son cuz if I wasn’t at the house then I’d be at football practice or OTAAS you know what I’m saying working out for however many hours but we understand me and my girl like it’s ball you know what I’m saying so ball first i ain’t going to say ball first cuz it’s family first but but we understand it’s ball and ball is what’s going to take care of us you know what I’m saying so but but no it’s good to see see my son man but I’m definitely still working out we got to go work out you know what I’m saying you got to get that out in the day you know what I’m saying but but definitely it’s definitely good to see my son a lot more than what I was seeing him during the season right as you watch games and as you really I don’t even grow but really get older watch football watch people getting drafted and all that yeah you really have a gift he does are you starting to appreciate that gift more cuz I’ll be honest I don’t think I appreciated my gifts like I should have earlier in my career do you appreciate Honestly you work for some but God gave you some of them are you appreciating those gifts now if you could watch people play and you can see folks that got jobs that I would say I didn’t have a job and I was still betting some of the mother out there you know what I’m saying but not you did you appreciate those gifts and are you starting to look at it differently i definitely do but I also feel like at the same time I’m shorting myself cuz you know when when I’m training in offseason it’s no DB work i don’t have a DB trainer like I I ain’t never had a DB trainer my whole life it’s just stay in shape you know what I’m saying however I got to stay in shape but I I think once once I find a coach find somebody solid in the offseason we can spend however many weeks together then I think I’ll be taking full advantage of of you know my talent but but definitely I I I do appreciate it though i know you live here but I’ll be in Arizona for from June until training camp every week two days a week Monday Thursday i’mma be out there i’mma go I got to go home and see my daughter for about two weeks and I’mma leave and go back to back to Arizona probably like beginning of July end of June what’s your best 40 ever my best 40 four five yeah I ran four five i was hurt it look a little quicker than you so he’s way quicker than me if your feet If you can get your feet work in them legs yeah he’s way action but hey I tell you what I do know how to do though because I wasn’t fast i knew I know how to get it and I know how to coach it yeah so now hit me up we’re like we can do I do want to ask this though man it’s pretty cool transition he asked you about being able to spend more time with your son i’m obviously going to be in Arizona cuz I’ll be training Jordan and all the people who are working out there it’s June it’s men’s mental health awareness month it’s also Father’s Day you seem to be really dialed in you just said you know you talked about having your son but go and see your daughter when you think about the type of father you want to be what do you want those kids to see in you i want them to see see me and say “Daddy never quit.” Life going to get hard and but I think that that you need to go through them hard times to go to get to where you want to go because it’s like wherever you’re trying to go is precious and for you to have something precious you got to go through something hard or you got cuz anything that’s worth having is is not easy you know what I’m saying so daddy never quit and and if daddy never quit then I don’t I don’t never need to quit i’mma make sure my kids grow up different you know what I’m saying around a lot more money than than I grew up around but it’s not going to be easy it’s it’s not going to be handouts i just want I just want to instill that in my kids that life is hard and when the hard times come you can’t quit you got to go harder you look at where you are now you have made more plays than many people who are in many camps these weeks you started more games than many people who have helmets and roster spots when you think about the way you’ll enter the building with your next opportunity what do you think is most important to show that next coach that next next organization that next locker room that that I’m here for ball and all the outside noise that I’m pretty sure they hearing you know the Jack is hanging out with the wrong group jack don’t always make the wrong right decisions you know I’m I’m going be there and I’m going to prove that prove that wrong you know what I’m saying i’m going to show up like I say show up every day go to work put on my hard hat you know close my mouth and just get to work the next team I I go to whatever team it is you know I don’t expect them to be like “Yo Jack you made x amount of plays you’re a starter.” Nah man start me with the the fourth group with the last group i’ll work my way up that ain’t that ain’t nothing to me i’m I’m cool with proving myself but just give me a chance to prove myself cuz I’m I’m willing to prove myself and do it every day you seem different right and I I can be honest like we didn’t talk a lot when you were in school i don’t know a ton about you personally other than what people have told me but you know you had being kicked out of USC right you had being in a jail cell right you had not getting your transcripts right for Houston like it’s been adversity Jack like you’ve been faced with not having football before and a conventional mind would say all of those things didn’t necessarily change decision making what is it about whether it’s you right now or the situation you’re in right now that has you speaking with such clarity that the next time will be so different for you cuz I went through what I went through if I wouldn’t have went through what I went through then I probably wouldn’t be talking this confident you know what I’m saying but I went through what I went through and man it really made me open my eyes like that this is a privilege and it could be taken away anytime and if this something that I say I want I got to prove that I want it by showing up being consistent do what I’m supposed to doing what I’m asked to do you know what I’m saying and doing it at a high level but you are your resume back to what I was saying bro i was a problem yeah I was a problem you’re resume it is what it is but your resume has some hellified ups man highlights hella fired up but those downs are what you’re fighting to be honest i’ll be honest with you as a as a Yeah those downs what you’re fighting kind of along that line of Ryan where teams want to figure out why those lows come and address them you had to address those things i knew I just partied i was a partyier and they knew it everybody went around drafting they knew crowd was going to go out drivers going to party and all that stuff so that’s the kind of the transition of it is do the kids are the kids the reason to change what’s that reason for your change cuz that’s what you need is those lows on their resume there has to be a reason for a transition like I say my kids family member girls they counting on me and and me wanting to play football and if I lose football then I’m losing what I want and I’m hurting my family members who counting on me you know what I’m saying so I got to change i I don’t have no choice but to change and if I don’t change then I’m going to be doing stuff I don’t want to do you know what I’m saying working out for a team I might not want to play for it’s just about like I say putting the next foot in front of the other keeping a good mindset and and and keep going and and I’m able I’m I’m here today thinking with this positive mindset because I’ve been through it before and and I know how to handle it i know where to go when I need this help i know where to go when I need this help i got people in my in my corner my girl i got I I got help from people and I I just need to start reaching out and that’s that’s what I learned who Who do you talk to Jack like when you mentioned bringing the outside stuff into the building or whatever it was that caused tension in Las Vegas is there a person or are there people that you could get on the phone with and say “Hey man this is what I’m going through how would you handle it this is what I’m going through what decisions should I make because we talk about it on this show all the time bro like our careers our lives whatever it is like they aren’t this linear transfer of experiences that you don’t need other people’s help right do you have people that you feel like you could lean on when you get in these times where things could seem overwhelming absolutely some of the people I named earlier Coach Kim AP I called TJ Husman those those of the main three that I called like you know when I when I got a question about whatever it may be you know most of the stuff is football but you know whatever it may be I I call them like no hesitation you know they pick up the phone if not they’ll call me right back but but those those are people I run to and they they’ve been helping me out a lot i’m a tattoo man right like some tags we all are obviously and some are more meaningful than others i see NFL right there on your knuckle i was trying to make out what it says below that i see Jackie I see MLK over there is that a jack yeah that’s a jack card oh the jack card right there like what’s like give me a story behind like your your most meaningful piece of art i just I go through some of them the NFL one is just never forget loyalty that’s why I got that you know what I’m saying it’s just the the loyal ones who’ve been loyal to me you know I I never forget about them and I you know I always got them you know even if it seem like I don’t we ain’t talking every day I’m I’m still here you know what I’m saying but then this right here is uh this my grandma name my grandma Jackie and her favorite color is a sun yellow so I got a sunflower and then I got my mom in the inside my guardian angel and I just got a crown i got the city right here and then MLK I just got that just young hey hey my man went through all the tattoos he got to like an historical civil rights activist and he goes “I just got that one i was young.” Look at this look at this one the no the no fear with the tribal terrible tribal ring that was the young dumb [ __ ] for me stripper mode who does that yeah that was my stripper tattoo that why I keep my my How old were you when you did that i was 18 first one it was It was close man yeah that just there alone is crazy is that right a naked arm with just that much no but Jack just you might as well get a belly uh belly button tattoo right around that freaky Z that Zion Jack some something stood out to me man uh you spoke about loyalty right and as a young guy you know we want to make sure we remember where we come from you know a lot of people that have taken chances on us coming up you say “I got you.” You know but you also got to find a balance so that you don’t put yourself in the negative or you’re underwater like speak to that um you know that whole that that loyalty theme to to make sure that yeah I got you but there’s a there’s a thin line like I can’t have you bringing you know bringing issues my way so we got to play each other at a distance cuz I got to be right cuz if you crack the piggy bank then we lose everything no yeah i talk to my homies about that all the time man and my homies is smart enough to to understand the situation that I’m in they smart enough to to see that the situation that I went through last time was eating me that and I don’t want to go through that no more so when we go out or anything like that we we get together and my I don’t hang out with a bad group of guys like the friends I hang out with they don’t have no criminal record like so I’m going just put that there but but when we go out though it’s don’t start nothing it won’t be nothing and we don’t plan on finishing nothing we can always walk away and I tell them I tell them out my mouth you know what I’m saying this me talking i said I said “Bro if we get into a fight and we go and beat this dude up who face going to be on the news this going to be yours or it’s going to be mine?” And they It’s Yeah so it’s like “Come on bro it’s like we all love each other here.” So it’s like “Do something for your loved one and and just you know what I’m saying calm down when we go out.” And Yeah i I asked that because I know we have a lot of impressionable young guys that aspire to be where we all are watching the show and and they like to they get lost in that yeah you know what I’m saying i got to be here i got to look out for the hood i got to look out for my people but there’s a way to do it i’m strict with minds ain’t no knuckleheads with me i ain’t going to lie anybody who want to quote unquote crash out yeah you crash out by yourself yeah i We ain’t crashing out over here you know what I’m saying yeah we just trying to have fun you know what I’m saying get back home safe to our babies you know what I’m saying but have you had to cut anybody off though absolutely absolutely make smart decisions yeah absolutely man and it come with a heartbeat and it come like it’s like like I love you but at the same time [ __ ] you you know what I’m saying cuz it’s like you trying to tear me down you know what I’m saying but and and I can’t have that cuz like I say it’s bigger than me i got people babies uh family members counting on me and I cut somebody off in a heartbeat you know what I’m saying that’s smart though man yeah no I was trying to I was trying to lay up for the the biggest pivot question and we always ask our guests on the show what’s their biggest pivot in life that’s that one moment you can look back on and say because of this happening or without this happening to me or for me I wouldn’t be who I am today i probably say sitting in that jail cell man sitting in that jail cell going through that time having to do that time man that that was rough man that that was rough without without that cuz it was that that in that moment right there it felt like football was gone like you know what I’m saying it was no football at all it was I wasn’t going to play another snap like you know what I’m saying and I was in Jo so I couldn’t play football too so it was really tough but but that moment right there I said that that was my pivot in life where it was a wakeup call like which way you want to go you want to go left or you want to go right you know what I’m saying so crazy how God work ain’t it yeah boy absolutely man i’m glad we got to sit down and have the conversation uh you know before we even did it I was hoping one that you were as open about things as you were and that I’d learn and that other people get an opportunity to learn how much you’ve actually grown and from me for sure and I know from both of them like we’re just praying you get another opportunity and honestly I’m praying that you get to show everyone that whoever makes that decision they were right to give you another chance man but happy Father’s Day to you bro appreciate you coming your baby’s outside you know what I’m saying your girl um as well man but best of luck man i’ll see you in a hold your baby no bro bro so he tried to They had a baby on set they had a baby on set one time right Jack jack Jack and he kept saying “No I’m going to make the baby be quiet.” Quiet man he held that baby the baby went crazy when he held a baby hold up limitless kind of pinning it i fought the hill to witness it got my people feeling militant way I’m feeling got me up on the mission got me up knowing me i got the key only vision I can trust trust limit i witness it my people feeling militant way I’m feeling got me up

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“Playing in the NFL is a privilege and if you don’t take advantage of that privilege, you are going to lose it in a heartbeat.” Jack Jones NFL Free Agent

In this powerful and unfiltered episode of The Pivot Podcast, NFL free agent Jack Jones joins Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder to speak candidly about the road less traveled — a path marked by talent, turbulence, and turning points. Once a highly touted prospect with game-changing potential, Jack’s NFL journey has been anything but smooth. From academic ineligibility at USC and legal trouble in college, to his surprising rise with the Patriots and a second chance in Las Vegas, Jack opens up like never before.

Known for his electric plays and having some of his best games against the league’s best in Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert…Jack is ready to get back on the field and show the world he’s still that guy. With free agency looming and a chip on his shoulder, Jack talks about how he’s stayed mentally tough, why he believes his best football is still ahead of him, and what it’s really like trying to rebuild a reputation in a league that doesn’t wait for anyone.

He shares how poor decisions nearly derailed his career, the humbling reality of being waived, and how public criticism and personal reflection forced him to mature. Jack talks about the emotional toll of being misunderstood, the pressure of growing up fast in the NFL spotlight, and the accountability he’s had to develop as a man off the field. Growing up in Long Beach had its fair share of challenges but having Snoop, a musical and cultural icon, be a mentor and leader in his football league, he understood that having a strong support system is what keeps you grounded.

This isn’t just a football conversation — it’s about ownership, self-awareness, and rebuilding from the inside out. With his future in the league uncertain, Jack discusses how he’s training harder than ever, shifting his mindset, and why he’s now focused not just on proving people wrong, but proving himself right.

If you’re looking for an honest conversation about growth, second chances, and the hard lessons that shape real change — this one’s for you. Don’t forget to subscribe and comment!
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